Colombia recently created a 2.7 million-acre protected territory in the Amazon to safeguard the Yuri-Passé isolated indigenous group and their ancestral lands.
In a landmark decision for indigenous rights and conservation, Colombia has formally established the first-ever protected territory specifically designed to safeguard Indigenous Peoples in Isolation (PIA/Spanish acronym) in the country’s remote Amazon region. The Colombian government officially recognized the 2.7 million-acre territory in October 2024, following years of collaborative work between indigenous authorities, government agencies, and conservation organizations.
The newly protected area, known as the “Territoriality of the Indigenous Peoples in Isolation between the Caquetá and Putumayo Rivers,” will provide strict protection for the Yuri-Passé indigenous group, which live in voluntary isolation in this biodiverse region of Colombia’s Amazon department.
This historic designation marks a significant advancement in Colombia’s commitment to protecting cultural diversity and vital ecosystems. The vast majority of the territory—2.3 million acres—will remain under strict protection status, ensuring the isolated community can continue their traditional way of life without outside interference.
“This recognition not only protects the PIA in the Puré River region but also helps clear the way for future studies that allow for the confirmation of the existence of PIA groups in other areas of the Colombian Amazon that are yet to be recognized,” said a statement from Colombia’s Ministry of the Interior upon issuing Resolution 244 on October 23rd.
The protected territory overlaps partially with Río Puré National Park, established in 2002. However, the new designation adds 642,746 acres of strengthened protection across indigenous reserves and previously undesignated land.
The formal recognition guarantees the right of the Yuri-Passé people to maintain their isolation and traditional practices within their ancestral lands. This protection is crucial, as these communities face increasing threats from activities like alluvial gold mining, deforestation, and encroachment from armed groups in surrounding areas.
Studies confirming the presence of the Yuri-Passé group between the Caquetá and Putumayo Rivers were essential in establishing this protected area. These indigenous people are known by neighbouring communities as caraballos, arojes, or “people of guama” by the Miraña indigenous communities and are referenced in ethnographic literature as “Yuri.”
The newly recognized territory features dense primary Amazonian rainforests and winding tributaries of the Caquetá and Putumayo Rivers. This ecosystem supports extraordinary biodiversity, including tree-climbing species like lianas, epiphytes, bromeliads, and mosses that flourish in the forest canopy. White sand forests provide ideal conditions for Yavarí palms (Astrocaryum uididima), while tall palm species such as the cananguchillo (Mauritiella aculeata) and Asaí (Euterpe precatoria) rise above the canopy.
The area’s wildlife is exceptionally diverse, with over 600 recorded Amazonian species, including threatened animals like the Oncilla (Leopardus tigrinus), giant armadillo (Priodontes maximus), and giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla).
The protection framework establishes two distinct zones. The intangible zone, covering 2.3 million acres, prohibits direct or indirect intervention in the protected territory. This strict protection ensures these indigenous peoples can maintain their isolation and cultural practices without displacement or unwanted contact.
A buffer zone surrounds the intangible area, serving as a transition space to limit disturbances from human activity and prevent alterations to the ecosystems within the PIA territory.
Establishing this protected territory represents the culmination of a lengthy process involving indigenous knowledge and scientific research. Traditional leaders and elders from neighbouring indigenous communities played a crucial role in investigating and delimiting the protected area.
Neighbouring indigenous communities have known about the existence of the PIA for generations. Now that the territory has been formally recognized, these communities will play a vital role in monitoring and surveillance activities to maintain the no-contact principle, coordinating with government authorities.
Their commitment to protecting the PIA and their territory not only serves the isolated group but also helps maintain the integrity of their lands and ecosystems against external threats.
The Amazon Conservation Team (ACT), a key civil society organization involved in the process, has been working with local communities and government agencies to support protecting isolated indigenous groups in the region. Through research and collaborative strategies, ACT has helped develop approaches that respect cultural heritage and ecological preservation.
Formalizing a protected territory for isolated indigenous peoples significantly conserves the Amazon Basin’s biocultural values. Protecting isolated indigenous groups supports the forests’ cultural and ecological connectivity. Through this resolution, Colombia has taken a key step toward protecting the rights and territory of indigenous peoples living in isolation, reaffirming its commitment to their autonomy and survival.
The accomplishment was made possible through collaboration between Colombia’s Ministry of the Interior, the Department of Amazonas, National Natural Parks of Colombia, the National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon (OPIAC), and the indigenous communities of the Puré River Region, with technical assistance from the Amazon Conservation Team and financial support from the Andes Amazon Fund, Re:wild, and Art into Acres.
This historic designation of a protected territory for isolated indigenous peoples sets a precedent in Colombia and potentially throughout the Amazon region, balancing respect for indigenous autonomy with vital conservation goals.
