Parliamentarians Conclude Historic Amazon Fossil Fuel Inquiry in Bogotá

On August 21, 2025, the Colombian Congress hosted the third and final public hearing of the parliamentary inquiry into fossil fuels in the Amazon, led by the Amazon Committee of Parliamentarians for a Fossil-Free Future.

The session gathered lawmakers from seven countries, alongside Indigenous leaders —including the National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon (OPIAC)—, civil society organizations, and scientific institutions. Together, they reinforced a shared demand: halt the expansion of oil and gas in the Amazon and chart a just, participatory, and time-bound path to phase out existing fossil fuel exploitation.

Highlights from the hearing:

- A letter to President Gustavo Petro, delivered to Vice Minister of Environment Tatiana Roa, calling for concrete commitments to stop fossil fuel expansion in the Amazon biome and design a planned phase-out.

- Strong voices from parliamentarians across the region, including Andrés Cancimance and Juan Carlos Losada (Colombia), Cecilia Requena (Bolivia), Cecilia Baltazar and Jahiren Noriega (Ecuador), Rosa Gálvez (Canada), Célia Xakriabá (Brazil), and Lois Maldonado (Venezuela), all emphasizing the urgency of regional cooperation.

- Recognition of the unprecedented moment created by the coordinated introduction of bills in Brazil, Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador to ban new oil and gas projects in the Amazon.

- A closing rally in Bogotá’s Parque de los Hippies, with music and art amplifying the call for an Oil-free Amazon.

This was the third and last hearing of the inquiry, following earlier sessions in Cali and Lima. The process now looks ahead to COP30 in Belém, where the Amazon will take center stage in global climate negotiations.

The message from Bogotá was clear: protecting the Amazon means stopping fossil fuel expansion and embracing a just energy transition. The world is watching, and history will measure our courage.

Parliamentarians for a Fossil-Free Future