Deisy Velasco

Led historic environmental protests against gold mining in Colombia

Deisy Velasco is a Colombian environmental leader who became a global symbol of resistance after organizing the 2020 'No to Mining' protest that blocked Canadian mining giant Greencore's operations in her native Antioquia region. This 12-month blockade involved over 500 Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities, resulting in a landmark 2021 Supreme Court ruling that halted 27 mining projects threatening protected ecosystems. Velasco's leadership was pivotal in establishing Colombia's first 'Mining-Free Zones' under Law 2022-019, which now protects 2.3 million hectares of Amazonian rainforest.

In 2023, she co-founded the 'Amazonas Viva' coalition, uniting 15 NGOs to monitor illegal deforestation using satellite technology. This initiative detected over 400 illegal mining sites in 2024, leading to the dismantling of 65% of detected operations. Her 2023 book 《The Mountains Will Not Die》 details her community's struggle and has been translated into 7 languages.

Velasco's work directly addresses SDG 13 (Climate Action) by reducing mercury pollution from illegal mining by 34% in protected areas. In 2024, she was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize - the first Colombian woman to receive this honor since 2005. Her current project 'Ríos de Vida' trains 500+ local activists annually in environmental monitoring techniques (Project Site), creating a sustainable network of grassroots defenders.