Colombia: Colombia’s Indigenous Arhuaco Awarded 500 Hectares in Ongoing Bid to Regain Ancestral Lands

Apr 26, 2017 | Bram Ebus, Mongabay
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Although the Arhuaco indigenous peoples of Colombia’s coastal mountain range — the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta — are known for their century-long track record of environmental protection, their cultural survival and preservation of the mountain ecosystems are at risk. A new initiative that looks to preserve biodiversity and replant forests under indigenous control could help turn the tide, though. Colombian President Juan Manual Santos recently announced the Forest Wardens Heart of the World program, which entitles the Arhuaco with 500 hectares (1,253 acres) to safeguard in the region.