Maria Estrada Vallejo

Colombian environmental lawyer leading Amazon rainforest conservation through indigenous partnerships

Maria Estrada Vallejo is a groundbreaking environmental attorney who secured landmark legal protections for Amazon rainforest regions through innovative collaboration with indigenous communities. Her 2014 legal victory established first-of-its-kind territorial rights for the Nukak-Maku people, protecting 2.3 million acres of pristine rainforest. As director of Amazon Justice Collective, she developed the 2017 Biocultural Corridors Framework, now adopted in 4 South American countries. Maria's 2019 TED Talk 'Guardians of the Green Lungs' has over 5 million views. She brokered historic agreements between mining companies and indigenous groups, redirecting 15% of corporate profits to conservation. Her 2020 book 《Forest of Voices》 details legal strategies for environmental justice. Maria's work was honored with the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2021 for creating models that balance economic development with ecological preservation.