Ximena de la Torre

A Colombian environmental leader who pioneered community-based rainforest conservation in the Amazon basin

Activism Journey

Ximena de la Torre (b. 1978) is a biologist and founder of Guardianes del Bosque, an organization that trains Indigenous communities to combat illegal logging in Colombia's Amazon region. Her strategy combines traditional ecological knowledge with modern technology like drone surveillance.

Key Achievements

• Protected 1.2 million hectares of rainforest from deforestation
• Established the first community-led forest monitoring network in 2003
• Negotiated landmark agreements with national parks and logging companies

Global Impact

Her work has:

• Reduced illegal logging by 40% in protected areas
• Supported 15 Indigenous communities to gain legal land titles
• Sparked a 300% increase in eco-tourism revenue for local populations