A warlord became an unlikely forest protector. Now he is cutting it down
The Guardian Weekly|November 01, 2024
Deforestation in Colombia fell by a third when guerrilla leader Ivan Mordisco violently enforced a ban. Why did he change tack?
Luke Taylor
A warlord became an unlikely forest protector. Now he is cutting it down

In the Amazon states of southern Colombia, patches of cattle pasture suddenly give way to trees so numerous and densely packed that the blots of emerald, lime green and white overlap as vines, leaves and tree trunks merge into one.

According to official figures, this place is a success story: the frontline of the country's fight against deforestation, which it slashed last year by 36%.

But for those who live here, the future of the forest hangs in the balance. Many believe it will be decided on the whim of a violent militia leader, who last year became one of the world's most unlikely forest protectors.

"Only one man controls these regions: Ivan Mordisco," said Miguel Tabares, who was displaced from Guaviare state when rebels threatened his life and murdered a colleague running an ecotourism project. "He is the one who is really in charge. And he does whatever the hell he wants."

Néstor Gregorio Vera Fernández - better known as Ivan Mordisco - is the leader of the Central General Staff (EMC), one of the largest armed groups in Colombia.

A list of alleged crimes, including drug trafficking, the mass killing of civilians and the forced recruitment of children, have earned him a place on the US terrorist list and made him one of Colombia's top military targets.

He also became one of the Amazon's most unexpected protectors after implementing a total ban on deforestation, and policing it with deadly force.

この記事は The Guardian Weekly の November 01, 2024 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

この記事は The Guardian Weekly の November 01, 2024 版に掲載されています。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。

THE GUARDIAN WEEKLYのその他の記事すべて表示
If kids get protected from online harm, how about the rest of us?
The Guardian Weekly

If kids get protected from online harm, how about the rest of us?

The Australian government has proposed a ban on social media for all citizens under 16.

time-read
3 分  |
November 29, 2024
'It's not drought - it's looting'
The Guardian Weekly

'It's not drought - it's looting'

Spain is increasingly either parched or flooded - and one group is profiting from these extremes: the thirsty multinational companies forcing angry citizens to pay for water in bottles.

time-read
10+ 分  |
November 29, 2024
Life in the grey Zone
The Guardian Weekly

Life in the grey Zone

Neonatal care has advanced so far that babies born as early as 21 weeks have survived. But is this type of care always the right thing to do?

time-read
10+ 分  |
November 29, 2024
Out of tune? Band Aid under fire for Africa tropes as it turns 40
The Guardian Weekly

Out of tune? Band Aid under fire for Africa tropes as it turns 40

Forty years ago this month, a group of pop stars gathered at a west London studio to record a single that would raise millions, inspire further starry projects, and ultimately change charity fundraising in the UK.

time-read
3 分  |
November 29, 2024
Deaths shine spotlight on risks of drinking on party trail
The Guardian Weekly

Deaths shine spotlight on risks of drinking on party trail

Vang Vieng is an unlikely party hub. Surrounded by striking limestone mountains and caves in central Laos, it morphed from a small farming town to a hedonistic tourist destination in the early 2000s.

time-read
3 分  |
November 29, 2024
Different strokes My strange and emotional week with an AI pet
The Guardian Weekly

Different strokes My strange and emotional week with an AI pet

Moflin can develop a personality and build a rapport with its owner - and doesn't need food or exercise. But is it comforting or alienating?

time-read
5 分  |
November 29, 2024
Strike zone Waking up to the rising threat of lightning
The Guardian Weekly

Strike zone Waking up to the rising threat of lightning

When the Barbados National Archives, home to one of the world's most significant collections of documents from the transatlantic slave trade, reported in June that it had been struck by lightning, it received sympathy and offers of support locally and internationally.

time-read
3 分  |
November 29, 2024
Cheap pints and sticky carpets: the old-school pub is back
The Guardian Weekly

Cheap pints and sticky carpets: the old-school pub is back

In the Palm Tree pub, east London, barman Alf is taking only cash at the rattling 1960s till.

time-read
3 分  |
November 29, 2024
Brain gain Can a radical tax scheme convince the country's brightest to stay?
The Guardian Weekly

Brain gain Can a radical tax scheme convince the country's brightest to stay?

In the autumn of 2018, I moved to Lisbon for a month-long course at the Universidade .de Lisboa.

time-read
2 分  |
November 29, 2024
Fear and sympathy in small town divided over asylum camp
The Guardian Weekly

Fear and sympathy in small town divided over asylum camp

A year after anti-immigration riots, a site for asylum seekers faces hostility while some locals try to help new arrivals

time-read
3 分  |
November 29, 2024