Luz Marina Torres

Colombian Indigenous leader fighting illegal mining through community-based solutions

Luz Marina Torres, a Nasa Indigenous leader from Cauca, Colombia, has pioneered innovative strategies to combat illegal gold mining that threatens both ecosystems and communities. Since 2020, she has coordinated the Guardians of the Sacred Earth network involving 27 Indigenous territories. This initiative uses drone surveillance combined with ancestral land stewardship practices to monitor illegal mining activities.

Her most impactful innovation is the 'Bio-Border' system - planting native tree species along riverbanks to create natural barriers against mining encroachment. This approach has successfully protected 12,000 hectares of Amazonian rainforest while creating green jobs for over 3,000 community members. Torres' work was featured in the UN's 2024 report on Indigenous-led conservation strategies.