The country becomes the first in the region to declare its entire Amazon biome a "renewable natural resource reserve zone," blocking 43 oil blocks and 286 mining applications.
Colombia announced on November 13, 2025, at COP30 in Belém, that it will no longer authorize any new large-scale oil or mining projects in its Amazon region. This historic decision places the country at the forefront of tropical forest protection.
An Unprecedented Measure
Nearly 42% of Colombian territory is now protected by this declaration, covering more than 483,000 square kilometers of Amazon rainforest—approximately 7% of the entire South American biome. Acting Environment Minister Irene Vélez Torres described the decision as an "ethical and scientific commitment" aimed at preventing forest degradation, waterway contamination, and biodiversity loss.
"We are not doing this merely as an act of environmental sovereignty, but as a fraternal appeal to the other countries that share the Amazon biome, because the Amazon knows no borders and its preservation requires us to move forward together," the minister stated.
A Sharp Contrast with Neighbors
The Colombian measure stands in stark contrast to the policies of other countries in the region. Brazil, which holds nearly 60% of the Amazon, has recently awarded several oil blocks near indigenous territories. Ecuador, meanwhile, is preparing to auction off 49 oil and gas projects worth over $47 billion, while Peru is seeking to restart production at the Lot 192 site.
In Colombia, the decision suspends the activation of 43 oil blocks and 286 mining applications that had not yet begun. The Environment Ministry warned that their implementation "could jeopardize the continent's climate balance."
Protection That Still Needs to Be Consolidated
While this measure marks a turning point, it must still be formalized through specific legislative frameworks to be fully sustainable. Discussions are also ongoing with local populations, particularly the 566 indigenous communities living in the region. The declaration applies only to new projects and does not affect extractive activities already underway.
The announcement was welcomed by the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA), which praised the Colombian government's "courage" and expressed interest in seeing this approach "radiate" to the policies of other countries within the biome.
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