Xiomara Reyes

Colombian environmental activist leading resistance against illegal mining in the Amazon basin

Xiomara Reyes is a Colombian environmental defender from the Indigenous Emberá community, fighting to protect the Amazon rainforest from illegal mining operations. Her activism began in 2015 when gold mining encroachments threatened her community's ancestral lands in Chocó Department. As leader of the Emberá Dabeiba Indigenous Organization, she organized river patrols and international campaigns to document environmental destruction and human rights abuses. Her efforts gained global attention after a 2018 UN report highlighted her community's plight, leading to temporary mining suspensions in critical biodiversity zones.

Reyes faces constant threats from paramilitary groups linked to mining cartels, yet persists in her advocacy through grassroots organizing and digital activism. She co-founded the 'Amazon Watch Colombia' initiative to train Indigenous youth in environmental monitoring using satellite technology. Her story is featured in the Netflix documentary 'The Amazon: A River's Journey' (2021), which examines environmental defenders' struggles. Despite receiving multiple death threats, she continues negotiating with government agencies to secure land titles for Indigenous communities, a process critical to protecting 2 million hectares of rainforest. Her work exemplifies the intersection of Indigenous rights and climate justice in the Global South.