SAVIA, UCB Santa Cruz and the Association of Committees promote an inter-institutional meeting for territorial analysis in the face of new environmental threats.
(Santa Cruz de la Sierra, June 24, 2025)
On June 24, an extraordinary meeting was held at the Santa Cruz campus of the Bolivian Catholic University, convened by the Management Committee for the Protected Areas of the Chaco, Chiquitanía, Pantanal, and Southern Amazon (CGAPCHCHPA). The event brought together experts, academics, Indigenous leaders, and representatives of environmental organizations to analyze the impact of Supreme Decree 5390, enacted on May 14, 2025.
The meeting aimed to assess the effects of the legislation, which has generated controversy for allowing the legalization of illegal settlements and changes in land use in protected areas. Despite its technical, conservationist language, specialists have warned about the risks this legislation poses to the integrity of forest reserves and the territorial rights of Indigenous peoples.
The day began with a presentation by Humberto Jorge Vargas, president of CGAPCHCHPA, and Carmen Miranda (SAVIA), who explained the scope of Decree 5390. Alcides Vadillo also spoke about current land-use planning regulations, highlighting the implications of the new law for environmental conservation.
One of the day's highlights was the drafting and signing of a joint statement by members of the CGAPCHCHPA, supported by the Legal Clinic, and its final reading by Zoila Zeballos. Environmental organizations have indicated that this law could lead to the deforestation of the last remaining forest areas, citing the El Choré Forest Reserve as an example, where the gradual relaxation of regulations has already begun to show its negative impact.
The afternoon was dedicated to a workshop on “Developing a Document on Violations of Indigenous Rights in the Chiquitania Region,” led by Roxana Arancibia, who spoke about ILO Convention 169 and the importance of prior consultation with Indigenous peoples. The issue of deforestation in the region was also addressed, with a presentation by Carlos Pinto (FAN) on “The Right to Environmental Conservation – Fires in the Chiquitania.”.
Finally, Mónica Guzmán and Fredy Rivero (SAVIA) presented a proposed municipal law on the “Water Crisis in the Chiquitanía Region and Local Resistance,” related to deforestation and the water problems facing the region. Rivero was also responsible for delivering the closing remarks and concluding the day's events.
Supreme Decree 5390 remains a hot topic, and the meeting made clear the call for action to protect the territorial rights of indigenous peoples and the conservation of natural resources in Bolivia.
