Danna del Cid

A Colombian environmental lawyer and activist leading grassroots movements against deforestation and illegal mining in the Amazon basin.

Danna del Cid is a tenacious environmental lawyer from Colombia, best known for her work defending Indigenous communities against illegal mining and deforestation in the Amazon. After earning her law degree in 2018, she co-founded Alianza Amazónica, an NGO that trains local leaders in legal advocacy. By 2021, their efforts had blocked 12 major mining projects threatening Indigenous territories.

In 2022, del Cid led a landmark lawsuit against the Colombian government for failing to protect the Amazon, resulting in a court order mandating reforestation of 50,000 hectares. Her Greenpeace collaboration launched the 'Amazon Guardians' program, training 300+ community members in drone surveillance to monitor illegal activities.

Her 2023 documentary 'Voices of the Forest' (co-produced with Netflix) brought international attention to the region's struggles. Despite receiving death threats from illegal miners, she continues organizing transnational campaigns like the Amazon Rainforest Alliance. Del Cid was named one of Time's 100 Most Influential People in 2024 for her 'courageous defense of Earth's lungs.'