For three days, the city of Iquitos became the beating heart of the Amazon as it hosted the Amazon Water Summit, a historic gathering that brought together more than 400 delegates from ten countries and fourteen regions of Peru. Indigenous communities, rural communities, quilombolas, religious leaders, social organizations, and representatives of civil society united under a single cry: “We are Water, We are Life, We are Hope.”
Inspired by the teachings of the Gospel and the encyclicals Laudato Si’, Querida Amazonía, and Laudate Deum, participants reaffirmed their commitment to defending water as a sacred gift and source of life. Throughout the Summit, the major challenges facing the region were addressed: illegal mining, deforestation, river pollution, and lack of access to drinking water, a paradox in one of the richest areas of fresh water on the planet.
Monsignor Carlos Castillo, Archbishop of Lima, recalled that there is “a human outcry that grows louder every day,” denouncing extractivist policies that put the lives of communities at risk. He invited everyone to transform this time of pain into an opportunity for resurrection for the Amazonian peoples.
Among the most moving testimonies were those of indigenous and peasant women affected by the pollution of their rivers and territories. They recalled that defending water is defending life itself and that its protection guarantees the future of Amazonian ecosystems and generations to come.
Cardinal Pedro Barreto, president of CEAMA, emphasized the role of the Church in defending creation:
“For 11 years we have been working in a pan-Amazonian ecclesial network. Today we have an Ecclesial Conference that brings together the nine Amazonian countries. The Church seeks not only to respond pastorally, but also to engage in dialogue with the social, political, and economic worlds in order to care for our common home.”
The Declaration on the Right to Water, approved at the close of the meeting, denounces the multiple threats facing the region—mining, drug trafficking, extractivism, climate crisis, and indifferent policies—and reaffirms the commitment of the Amazonian peoples to a dignified, just, and sustainable life.
In an emotional closing ceremony, Monsignor Miguel Ángel Cadena, Apostolic Vicar of Iquitos and main promoter of the Summit, said:
“The Church wants to listen. We need to listen to each other in order to propose together a dignified life for all.”
The meeting concluded with a closing Eucharist, during which it was announced that the Apostolic Vicariate of Puerto Maldonado will be the next venue for the Second Amazon Water Summit.
The Summit was promoted by the Vicariate of Water of the Apostolic Vicariate of Iquitos, with the support of CELAM, REPAM, CEAMA, the Churches and Mining Network, the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, PUCP, the CAAAP, the Laudato Si’ Movement, Forum Solidaridad Perú, Fundación Moore, Aguas Amazónicas, and with the support of Adveniat, Misereor, WCS, and Porticus.
With this Summit, the Catholic Church reaffirms its commitment to the integral defense of life, listening to the cry of the earth and the poor, and walking alongside the Amazonian peoples in building a future of hope.
