Secretary Haaland, Assistant Secretary Cantor Travel to Colombia to Highlight Collaborative Efforts to Conserve Biodiversity, Empower Indigenous Communities

Date: Thursday, November 21, 2024
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

BOGOTA, Colombia —Today, Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland and Assistant Secretary for Insular and International Affairs Carmen G. Cantor wrapped a weeklong visit to Colombia where they highlighted the importance of international cooperation to conserve biodiversity, safeguard wildlife, and honor Indigenous communities. 

During their visit, Secretary Haaland, Assistant Secretary Cantor and Charge d’Affaires Francisco Palmieri met with Colombian Interior Minister Juan Fernando Cristo and Acting Environment Minister Mauricio Cabrera Leal to discuss shared priorities to uplift Indigenous communities and conserve the environment. 

The delegation also met with the Colombian National Police to discuss international collaboration to combat illegal wildlife trafficking. Wildlife trafficking is an international crisis that involves the poaching, smuggling and illegal trade of protected species. Since 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Office of Law Enforcement Regional Attaché based in Embassy Lima has worked with Colombia’s National Police to investigate and make arrests for wildlife trafficking from Colombia with ties to the United States and other countries. Combatting Illegal wildlife trafficking is both a critical conservation concern between United States and Colombia and a threat to global security with significant effects on the national interests of the United States and partners around the world. 

Secretary Haaland met separately with Colombian Indigenous leaders and Afro-Colombian Indigenous youth to discuss shared priorities related to climate resilience, access to nature, and equity and economic opportunity for Indigenous communities in the region. Secretary Haaland highlighted the Biden-Harris administration’s work to build a next-generation conservation workforce through initiatives like the Indian Youth Service Corps, which provides meaningful education, employment and training opportunities to Indigenous youth through conservation projects on public and Tribal lands. 

Secretary Haaland and Assistant Secretary Cantor closed out their time in Colombia by traveling to Colombia’s Amazon region to highlight the United States’ work to advance biodiversity conservation in collaboration with local communities, entrepreneurs and territorial authorities and create sustainable livelihoods, contributing to long-term stability and economic development in Colombia. The visit follows President Biden’s trip to Manaus, Brazil earlier in the week where he met with Indigenous and other leaders and highlighted the most significant domestic climate and conservation action in history. This was the first visit to the Amazon rainforest by a sitting American President.  

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