Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon following peace with the FARC

Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon after the peace with the FARC

'To me, we’re on our way to the end of the world. Those trees are like my children. The plants, the water, the forest are the most sacred things,' says Peluche © Andrés Cardona

Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon after the peace with the FARC

If the government doesn't start investing in social and sustainable development for the communities who live in the Amazon, 'in about 10 years the landscape will be a desert,' according to Peluche. He says he has no choice but to survive cutting down the jungle, but if he could, he would take care of the forests © Andrés Cardona

Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon after the peace with the FARC

The destruction of the Amazon means that wild animals lose their habitat and are exposed to hunting by settlers. The problem of deforestation isn't caused solely by the settlers, it's the result of the lack of state policy for the forests' preservation © Andrés Cardona

Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon after the peace with the FARC

Previously, the farmers of the Caguán were coca cultivators and they haven't been given viable alternatives with the implementation of the peace agreement between the government and FARC: many therefore decide to cut trees to dedicate themselves to cattle ranching, and others continue growing coca © Andrés Cardona

Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon after the peace with the FARC

Jairo has a farm of more than 600 hectares. In summer 2018, 100 hectares of forest were destroyed due to lack of investment in development programmes by the Colombian government © Andrés Cardona

Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon after the peace with the FARC

Almost 200,000 hectares were deforested in Colombia in 2018, 70 per cent of which in the Amazon © Andrés Cardona

Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon after the peace with the FARC

Farmers enter the jungle with machetes to cut small trees and clear the largest ones © Andrés Cardona

Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon after the peace with the FARC

After the small trees are cut, chainsaws are used to knock down the biggest trees © Andrés Cardona

Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon after the peace with the FARC

Livestock farming has replaced coca as the basis of the economy, supporting families who live in the Colombian Amazon. This activity is based on burning parts of the jungle to make space for and sow pastures © Andrés Cardona

Deforestation in the Colombian Amazon after the peace with the FARC

Jairo, nicknamed 'Peluche', is a farmer who lives in an area called Bajo Caguán, located near Chiribiquete National Natural Park in the Colombian Amazon. This territory was previously dominated by the FARC guerrilla group, who signed a peace treaty with the government in 2016 © Andrés Cardona