Paulina Vega

Colombian environmental lawyer fighting for indigenous rights and biodiversity

Paulina Vega is a Colombian environmental lawyer and founder of Ambientalistas por la Vida, an NGO defending the rights of indigenous communities and biodiversity in the Amazon. Her groundbreaking legal work led to Colombia's 2016 Constitutional Court ruling that declared the Amazon rainforest a rights-bearing entity, granting it legal protection. This landmark decision recognizes the rainforest's right to exist, thrive and regenerate its ecosystems - the first such ruling in Latin America.

Vega's advocacy has directly halted over 200 illegal mining projects and protected 12 million hectares of Amazon rainforest. She pioneered the use of "rights of nature" litigation strategies, successfully arguing that environmental destruction violates constitutional rights of future generations. Her work with the Kogi indigenous people helped create a 1.5 million hectare protected area in Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

Despite death threats from paramilitary groups, Vega continues to lead high-risk legal cases against multinational corporations. Her legal team's innovative strategies have inspired similar movements in Ecuador and Peru. The Guardian called her "one of Latin America's most daring environmental defenders". Vega's approach combines indigenous knowledge with modern legal frameworks, creating a model for nature conservation that respects both ecological and cultural rights.