Operations to destroy illegal roads in Colombia’s Amazon hit standstill

Government measures to destroy illegal roads in and around Colombia’s Amazon rainforest are stalled, eight sources told Reuters, with one operation suspended altogether over concerns it could set back peace talks between rebels and President Gustavo Petro’s administration.
The construction of roads through rainforests in Colombia by rural communities, cattle ranchers and illegal armed groups is a major contributor to deforestation, environmental experts and scientists say. That is especially critical in the Amazon, which absorbs huge amounts of carbon that contributes to climate change and is already a focus of concern.
There are at least 12 illegal roads in and around Chiribiquete national park – a UNESCO world heritage site in Colombia’s Amazon. But there are no known operations underway to destroy them, environmental procurator Gustavo Guerrero told Reuters, despite Petro’s promises to protect the environment.