PBI-Colombia accompanies Justice and Peace Commission at Perla Amazónica Peasant Reserve Zone

Published by Brent Patterson on

On November 1, the Peace Brigades International-Colombia Project posted on social media: “We accompany @Justiciaypazcol at a women’s meeting at the #ZRC Perla Amazónica. Promoting the work of women who sow life and protect the Amazon against the extractive impact that contributes to climate change.”

PBI-Colombia also tweeted: “We remain very concerned about the security situation of the members of the ADISPA association and in particular of its legal representative Jani Silva and the lack of guarantees for their work in the territory.”

Silva is the president of the Association for the Integral Sustainable Development of the Perla Amazónica (ADISPA), the association that manages the Perla Amazónica Peasant Reserve Zone (ZRCPA). The ZRCPA is located near Puerto Asis in the department of Putumayo, which is situated in south-west Colombia near the border with Ecuador.

Multiple threats against Silva

PBI-Colombia has reported on numerous instances of threats against Silva.

In 2017, Silva was internally displaced for their community as a result of death threats in response to her work.

PBI-Colombia notes: “Silva and her husband packed up all their belongings, got on a boat and travelled down the river to Puerto Asis, where they sought refuge. After so many threats and so much stress it was no longer possible to stay on the farm.”

This past April, Amnesty International launched this video and a campaign to demand that Colombian authorities immediately take effective measures to guarantee the safety of Jani who has experienced multiple threats.

Amnesty International has highlighted: “Jani Silva has dedicated her life to protecting the Amazon and the life that exists in it from efforts by armed groups and multinational companies to take control of her territory.”

Extractivism in Putumayo

PBI-Colombia has noted: “Over the years, one of the great challenges they have faced has been the arrival and expansion of oil companies.”

Amnesty International adds: “Her work placed her at loggerheads with the Ecopetrol oil company, which won a license to operate in areas overlapping with the reserve in 2006. In 2009, the license was transferred to the Amerisur oil company. Since then, at least two oil spills have poisoned the water sources that local communities depend on.”

And Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli of WOLA further notes: “Silva persistently fights for the conservation of the Amazon ecosystem and the rights of campesinos in Putumayo department. Oil slicks pollute the soil and drinking water of hundreds of farmers, animals, and plants, which is why Silva has campaigned for years against oil extraction.”

In November 2019, Amerisur (that had been listed on the London Stock Exchange) was purchased by GeoPark (listed on the New York Stock Exchange).

Several Canadian oil and gas corporations also operate in the Putumayo basin, including Calgary-based Gran Tierra Energy.

Jani Silva is accompanied by the Inter-Church Justice and Peace Commission. PBI-Colombia has accompanied Justice and Peace since 1994.

Categories: News Updates

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