Can a wildlife paradise on a Colombian island survive the arrival of a military base?

It took 40 years to turn Gorgona into a biodiversity haven and model marine protected area. Now a new coastguard station has sparked fears of militarisation and ecological ruinFor more than 15 years, Luis Fernando Sánchez Caicedo had dedicated himself to human rights in Colombia, supporting young people and advocacting for Afro-descendant and campesino – small farmer – communities in the Pacific region. A prominent local leader and adviser to the area’s administration in Nariño, he was also a longtime collaborator with the Institute for Development and Peace Studies (Indepaz), working to promote dialogue in a country torn apart by decades of war.That all ended in September when the boat carrying him and the mayor of Mosquera, Karen Lizeth Pineda, was fired on, reportedly by the Colombian navy. Sánchez was killed and the mayor’s bodyguard was seriously injured in the attack. Continue reading…