In the lead-up to the Fifth Summit of Amazonian Presidents, IRI Colombia joined the Listen to the Amazon Alliance, Indigenous organizations, civil society networks, and members of Congress in issuing an urgent call for strong presidential leadership. The open letter, addressed to President Gustavo Petro, urged Colombia to fully embrace its role as host nation and Pro Tempore Secretariat of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO).
The statement expressed concern over the limited attendance expected from Amazonian heads of state and called on Colombia to champion ambitious and concrete outcomes—particularly on forest protection, deforestation control, addressing illegal economies, and advancing an alternative development model centered on life, environmental justice, and the rights of people and nature.
Signatories included the National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon (OPIAC), Gaia Amazonas, the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network (REPAM), the Scientific Panel for the Amazon, the Pan-Amazonian Institute, the Etnollano Foundation, and other key organizations.
The call was also endorsed by 14 members of the Colombian Congress, among them Senator Julio César Estrada and Representative Julia Miranda Londoño—presidents of the Senate and House Ad Hoc Committees on Forests and Climate Change—alongside Senator Angélica Lozano Correa and Representatives Juan Carlos Losada, Eduard Sarmiento Hidalgo, and Jennifer Pedraza.
With this broad coalition of faith, Indigenous, scientific, and political voices, IRI Colombia reaffirmed that presidential leadership will be decisive for ensuring the Summit delivers transformative commitments for the Amazon and its peoples
