Call for action at rainforest summit

Indigenous leaders from across the Amazon are urging South American presidents meeting in Bogota this week to turn promises into concrete action, saying the gathering may be the first time at the conference they sit face-to-face with heads of state to demand a role in shaping the rainforest’s future.

- STEVEN GRATTAN

RAUL ARBOLEDA AFP/Getty Images A MAN stands next to a wall print in Bogota, Colombia, where South American presidents are meeting.

The Fifth Presidential Summit of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, which officially began in the Colombian capital on Tuesday, will bring together leaders alongside Indigenous representatives and scientists. The agenda includes public forums, cultural events and high-level meetings, culminating Friday in a joint “Declaration of Bogota” setting regional priorities on environmental protection and policy.