BOGOTA (Reuters) – The presidents of Brazil and Colombia held a crucial meeting in Colombia’s Amazonian city of Leticia on Saturday to address the urgent issue of deforestation in the region. The focus of the discussion was to explore regional coordination efforts aimed at protecting the world’s largest and most biodiverse rainforest.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva expressed his government’s commitment to eliminating illegal deforestation by 2030. He stressed the need for enhanced regional and global coordination to achieve this goal and called for collective action from all Amazon countries at the upcoming Belem summit.
Prior to the meeting between Presidents Lula and Petro, environmental ministers from various Amazonian countries, including Susana Muhamad from Colombia, Albina Ruiz Rios from Peru, and Josue Lorca from Venezuela, among others, held talks in Leticia. The purpose of these discussions was to lay the groundwork for a unified approach in tackling deforestation.
Both President Petro and President Lula, both of whom assumed office less than a year ago, have urged wealthy nations to provide financial assistance to South American countries in their efforts to preserve the Amazon. The preservation of this rainforest is crucial in the fight against global climate change.
The meetings in Leticia were a prelude to the upcoming summit of Amazon nations, which will be hosted by Brazil in the city of Belem in August. The summit aims to rally the member countries of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization to work together in safeguarding the forest and promoting sustainable development. The region faces multiple threats from illegal loggers, gold miners, animal smugglers, and drug traffickers.
The Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization was established in 1978 by Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, Suriname, and Venezuela. France’s overseas territory, French Guiana, is also invited to participate in the organization’s meetings.
(Reporting by Anna-Catherine Brigida, Writing by Anna-Catherine Brigida and Oliver Griffin,; Editing by Alistair Bell)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
