By Monti Aguirre, Director, Latin America Program In a long overdue victory, Colombian President Gustavo Petro last week handed over nearly 1000 hectares of land to close to 100 families displaced by the construction of El Quimbo dam. Built on the Magdalena River—Colombia’s most important waterway, vital for the country’s ecosystem, culture, and economy—the dam effectively…
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Por Monti Aguirre, Directora, Programa América Latina For English version, click here El Río Biobío fue la primera gran campaña de protección de ríos en Chile, y marcó un precedente que luego inspiraría e informaría los esfuerzos para proteger ríos icónicos en la Patagonia. Las lecciones aprendidas en la campaña por el Biobío sentaron las bases…
Read MoreBy Monti Aguirre, Director, Latin America Program For the Spanish version, click here. The Biobío River was Chile’s first major river protection campaign, which later helped shape and inform efforts to protect iconic rivers in Patagonia. The lessons learned from the Biobío campaign laid the groundwork for future advocacy, driving the successful movements to safeguard rivers…
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Photos here (credit: Defensa Ambiental) Download the press release here: English Version For Immediate Release September 25, 2024 MEDIA CONTACTS: Isadora Armani, Communications of International Rivers,iarmani@internationalrivers.org (English, Portuguese) Dario Cuellar, Communications of Defensa Ambiental, dario@ongdefensaambiental.cl (Spanish) CONCEPCIÓN, CHILE – The Biobío River is now the first ecosystem to have a Declaration of Rights in Chile. …
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Português abaixo e aqui International Rivers expresses its concern and solidarity over the unfolding tragedy in southern Brazil, where a partial dam collapsed after torrential rainfall at the 14 de Julho hydroelectric plant and unleashed a wall of water on communities downstream. At least 30 people have reportedly died and dozens more are missing. More…
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The Canadian mining company Belo Sun is attempting to build the Volta Grande gold mine which, if built, would be the largest open-pit gold mine in Brazil. Instead of responding to legitimate concerns about the environmental and human rights impacts of the project, the company has filed a criminal lawsuit against local community members and…
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A river’s journey not only sustains life, it also symbolizes the flow of people, cultures, and traditions. The protection of these precious waterways often requires the dedication of individuals who go above and beyond to advocate for their rights. One such individual is Monti Aguirre, whose remarkable 25-year journey at International Rivers has been nothing…
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Over the past few days, International Rivers had the incredible privilege of participating in a groundbreaking event that spotlighted the increasingly vital concept of the “Rights of Nature” in Brazil. The second Brazilian Rights of Nature Forum took place October 6 – 8th, in the breathtaking backdrop of Ilhéus, Bahia. This Brazilian Rights of Nature…
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 9, 2023 Media contact: +593 99 931 1384 comunicaciones@proyectodulcepamba.org Spanish version here June 9, 2023 – After almost 20 years of struggle, justice has finally arrived for the 140 communities of the Dulcepamba River basin. On Tuesday, May 30, The Ministry of Environment, Water, and Ecological Transition (MAATE) reversed the water…
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Por Leonardo Peña Garcia, Futaleufú Riverkeeper. English version here. El pasado sábado 3 de diciembre se realizó el Lanzamiento de la temporada de turismo aventura en Futaleufú, una de las comunas de la Patagonia y principal destino de turistas nacionales y extranjeros. El río Futaleufú es uno de estos puntos de interés, donde año a…
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By Leonardo Pena Garcia, Futaleufú Riverkeeper Spanish version here. Earlier this month, on December 3, the launch of the adventure tourism season was held in Futaleufú, one of the communities of Patagonia and one of the main destinations for national and foreign tourists. The Futaleufú River is one of these important places, where year after…
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