COP30 delegation of the People of the Centre and Traditional Authorities of the Regional Indigenous Council of the Middle Amazonas – CRIMA (Colombia)
Translation available: Spanish
About
Our delegation of five leaders of the People of the Centre and representatives of our collective organisation – the Association of Traditional Indigenous Authorities of the Regional Indigenous Council of Middle Amazonas (CRIMA) – will be in Belém do Pará from 7th November – 17th November 2025. See additional information and delegate profiles below.
Experiences, perspectives and priorities:
- Deepening concerns over ever rising temperatures and intensifying harmful effects of climate change on ancestral and traditional territories and way of life, threatening our traditional farming systems/food security and destabilising natural life cycles in the forest, rivers, and orchard fallows;
- Growing alarm among all People of the Centre communities about the incessant advance of the agricultural frontier across the “arc of deforestation” in the Colombian Amazon, which continues to expand in the Departments of Caquetá and Guaviare;
Questions and criticisms of official State policies, funds, plans and international initiatives to tackle deforestation in the Colombian Amazon that so far have: (i) not been effective in slowing forest loss in a sustained manner; (ii) not delivered long-term local benefits; (iii) failed to ensure the direct and effective participation of the People of the Centre in forest policy making; and (iv) not ensured full integration of Indigenous systems of territorial governance and nature protection in forest and climate protection measures.
Demands and proposals:
With these pressing concerns for the future of life in the Colombian Amazon and across the world, our People of the Centre – CRIMA delegation is carrying key messages to COP 30:
Calling on the Colombian State and international community to halt the “Monster of destruction” and stop devastation in the Colombian Amazon and across the entire Amazonian region;
Demanding accelerated implementation of judicial rulings to protect the Amazon guaranteeing full respect for the territorial rights of Indigenous Peoples and FPIC;
Seeking renewed State commitments that our Peoples and traditional authorities will be fully involved in application of ruling STC4360 on the Future of Life in the Colombian Amazon;
Insisting that Indigenous knowledge and customary laws on protecting the environment and the climate must be part of solutions to tackle climate change and measures to ensure transitions to sustainable life-giving economies in the Amazon and globally;
Sharing our own laws, our Word of Life, and the wisdom of the elders of the People of the Centre regarding how humanity must respect Mother Nature, ensure the preservation of Life in the Amazon, guarantee the survival of Indigenous Peoples, and mitigate and adapt to climate change based on our Indigenous laws of origin; emphasising that the Colombian national government and the international community must respect and adopt our proposals, and recognise that as Indigenous Peoples, we hold and can contribute core solutions to climate change.
Who are the People of the Centre?
Our Indigenous Nonuya, Féénemɨnaa, Pɵɵsiɵhɵ, and Nɨpodɨmakɨ Peoples of the Middle Caquetá River basin are the “People of the Centre”, with origins and territories in the navel of the World. We are the owners and custodians of ancestral and traditional territories today located in six titled Resguardos (Indigenous reserves) covering almost 2 million hectares of Amazon rainforest, including extensive areas within the vigilance and control zone of the Gran Predio Putumayo Indigenous Reserve. We are the survivors of the brutal holocaust inflicted by the international rubber trade at the beginning of the 20th century. Since that time, our leaders have worked to secure recognition of our territorial rights and to rebuild our way of life sustained by highly biodiverse systems of rotational farming and agroforestry underpinned by common customs, customary laws, ritual dialogues and ceremonial dances, which are centred on our traditional use of tobacco, mambe and manicuera. Our territories are governed by a network of traditional house owners and spiritual specialists who care for our communities and nature, replenish fertility of the land, forest and orchards; and enable collective healing through our ritual songs, ceremonial dances and the “Word of Life.
Bios
Kevin Wifen Castro Andoque
Identity: Nɨpódɨmakɨ (Uitoto) and Posioho (Andoke)
Traditional Name: Monáirekudo (Morning Star) and H´ñefoi (Decorated Eagle Feather)
Role: Human Rights Coordinator for the Association of Traditional Authorities of the Regional Indigenous Council of Middle Amazonas (CRIMA)
Kevin Wifen Castro Andoque of the Jurai clan (Nipodimaki) belongs to the Andoke Indigenous Community of Aduche. He has 11 years of experience in organisational leadership and the defence of Indigenous territories and Indigenous Amazonian peoples, working actively with the Organisation of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon (OPIAC). He currently serves as Human Rights Coordinator for the Association of Traditional Authorities of the Regional Indigenous Council of the Middle Amazonas (CRIMA).
Since 2023, he has been involved in the defence of human and collective rights in environmental matters for the People of the Centre and their collective organisation CRIMA. He continues continue to fulfil this role in 2025 with the support of the four Indigenous Peoples of the People of the Centre (Nonuya, Féénemɨnaa (Muinane), Pɵsiɵhɵ (Andoke), and Uitoto (Nɨpodɨmakɨ y Mɨnɨka-Uitoto). His work in defence of the ways of life and fundamental rights of Indigenous Peoples is guided by wisdom from grounded in the knowledge system of the four peoples of the People of the Centre. Kevin isalso a professional in Environmental Administration from the Francisco José de Caldas District University (Colombia).
Edwin Paky Barbosa
Neejí Mɨtabó of the Féénemɨnaa (Muinane) People
Traditional name: Mitabo (Rolled fibre of the Tucumã Palm)
Role: President of the Association of Traditional Authorities of the Regional Indigenous Council of Middle Amazonas (CRIMA)
Edwin Paky Barbosa belongs to the Indigenous community of Villa Azul of the Féénemɨnaa (Muinane) People. He has been working for the organisation CRIMA as an Indigenous leader for five years. Edwin is an agroecological engineer by profession with training from the University of the Amazon. He has extensive work experience in botanical collections of Amazonian species, has developed forest and floristic inventories, managed forest measurement equipment, and has also worked to analyse data to estimate the diversity and carbon content of Amazonian forests.
He played an active role in Indigenous organisational movements at university and has inherited a passion for fighting for the territory and defending the human rights of Indigenous Peoples from his father. He is currently the legal President of the Association of Traditional Authorities of the Regional Indigenous Council of the Middle Amazon (CRIMA).
Hernán Moreno
Nonova ɨɨni (Nonuya) community
Traditional Name: Ganibore
Role: Education Coordinator for the Association of Traditional Authorities of the Regional Indigenous Council of Middle Amazonas (CRIMA)
Hernan Moreno is from the Nonova ɨɨni (Nonuya) people, settled on the banks of the Middle Caquetá River in Amazonas in the Colombian Amazon. He began his leadership in his community at the age of 18. For approximately 20 years he has been an active leader alongside others in the Association of Traditional Authorities of the Regional Indigenous Council of Middle Amazonas in Colombia (CRIMA). He participated in the formation of several national Indigenous organisations, including the Organisation of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon (OPIAC).
He is currently the Education Coordinator at CRIMA, a line of work that he considers fundamental to understanding Indigenous traditions. He is a descendant of the Nonova ɨɨni people, who were almost decimated during the rubber boom of the 20th century. As a result, he grew up hearing stories about the genocide suffered by his People, which inspired him to fight for the rights of his communities and struggle for their survival as the Indigenous Nonuya People.
Omar Castro Suárez
Identity: Nɨpódɨmakɨ People
Traditional name: Juráguɨˉdope
Role: Governor of the Guacamayo Community of Araracuara
Omar Castro Suárez is an Indigenous leader of the Nipódimaki People, belonging to the Júraɨ “Planting Stone” Clan.
He has been an active leader of his People since the year 2000 and currently lives in the Andoke de Aduche Indigenous Reserve, where he heads the Guacamayo Indigenous Community in Araracuara (Caquetá Department). In addition to his leadership role, Omar is a practised traditional farmer, huntsman and fisherman.
His entire career as a leader has been focused on his role as a Traditional Authority, having received tuition on good governance from his grandfathers and traditional teachings from knowledgeable elders of his People. He is currently the Governor of Guacamayo Community. Omar has been delegated to represent his People at COP 30 in Belém do Pará (Brazil) by seven Nɨpóde-speaking communities and co-founders of the Association of Traditional Authorities of the Regional Indigenous Council of Middle Amazonas (CRIMA).
Dayana Dayellin Castro Andoque
Traditional name: Pudú (Eagle’s Down Feather)
Role: Coordinator of the Communications Department of the Traditional Authorities Regional of the Indigenous Council of the Middle Amazon (CRIMA)
Social communicator and journalist belonging to the Nipodimaki and Posioho peoples of the Colombian Amazon. Dayana is currently the Communications Coordinator for the Association of Traditional Authorities of the Regional Indigenous Council of Middle Amazonas (CRIMA). Since 2018, she has accompanied the Nipódimaki People in their autonomous process in cultural initiatives in traditional knowledge and actions to self-delimit their ancestral territory, producing various audiovisual products.
She has also supported processes within the association in defence of the rights of the Indigenous Peoples belonging to CRIMA (Uitoto de habla Nɨpóde y Mɨnɨka - Posioho - Féénemɨna y Nonova ɨɨni). In addition to being a women’s representative for the People of the Center, Dayana is accompanying the delegation as a communicator and filmmaker. She hopes to compile a video diary of the delegation's activities, dialogues, and advocacy efforts in Belém do Pará.
Contact Details
To schedule interviews, please reach out to Dayana Castro, woman delegate y communications coordinator, CRIMA by email at [email protected] and on Whatsapp at +57 313 5732106.
Additionally, supporting the delegates is Edwin de los Ríos, Advisor to the Forest Peoples Programme. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at +57 311 340915.
Events
The People of the Centre and CRIMA delegation will hold several events in collaboration with our allies in Belém do Pará.
Indigenous knowledge to heal the Mother Earth and sustain the Amazon – advice for COP30
- Monday 10 December, 18:05 – 18:55
- The People’s Circle, Green Zone
Delegation of the People of the Centre and Traditional Authorities of the Regional Indigenous Council of the Middle Amazonas – CRIMA (Colombia)
Asserting the territorial rights of the People of the Centre under STC 4360/18 - Experiences of the People of the Centre in the Colombian Amazon
At this event, the People of the Centre and their organisation, the Regional Indigenous Council of the Middle Amazon (CRIMA), will present their experiences and legal strategies (STC4360) for claiming fundamental rights and directly influencing public policies on the future of life in the Colombian Amazon.
- Thursday 13 November, 16.30 - 18:00
- Terrace (Ground Floor), Casa COP do Povo, Tv. Piedade, 426 - Reduto, Belém
- Delegation of the People of the Centre and Traditional Authorities of the Regional Indigenous Council of the Middle Amazonas – CRIMA (Colombia)
- Organiser: Regional Indigenous Council of the Middle Amazon (CRIMA) and Forest Peoples Programme