Within the framework of COP30, held in Belém do Pará, Brazil, we spoke with Cardinal Pedro Barreto, S.J., president of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA), about the current situation in the Amazon and the powerful call to action ahead of the VI General Assembly of CEAMA, which will take place from March 16 to 20 in Bogotá, Colombia.
Cardinal Barreto, what did the presence of the Amazonian Church at COP30 mean to you?
The presence of the Amazonian Church at COP30 was deeply significant. We were not there only as observers, but as a prophetic voice alongside the peoples. The participation of indigenous communities, social organizations, local churches, and leaders of rural Amazonia sought to reaffirm something fundamental: the Amazon is not an object of discussion, but a historical subject that defends life, territory, and the future of humanity.
You have pointed out that the Amazon cannot continue to be seen as a reserve of resources. What did you want to emphasize with that message?
I wanted to make it clear that the Amazon is not a pantry for exploitation, but a living, inhabited, and sacred territory. At COP30, we firmly stated that we did not come just to listen to speeches, but to demand real and sustainable solutions that guarantee the conservation of ecosystems and the protection of indigenous peoples. Caring for the Amazon means caring for life in all its forms.
In Belém, you spoke of the risk of the “point of no return.” Why is this such an urgent warning?
Because we are not talking about the distant future. Amazonian communities are already suffering the consequences of environmental degradation today. The risk of the point of no return is real, and avoiding it is a global responsibility, but also a moral urgency. It challenges states, economic sectors, citizens, and, in a very particular way, the Church, which cannot remain silent in the face of the cry of the peoples and the earth.
What kind of commitment does caring for our common home require today?
It requires active, not naive, hope. It requires collective commitment and decisive action involving all of Latin America and the world. COP30 should have been—and still should be—a space for unity among nations, peoples, and organizations, capable of putting life before short-term economic or political interests. The future of the so-called “lungs of the world” depends on courageous decisions today.
You also insisted on the need for a profound conversion. What do you mean by that?
That declarations and formal agreements are not enough. We need a comprehensive ecological conversion that touches hearts. The hearts of political leaders, businesspeople, and every citizen. Only then will decisions truly respond to the care of the environment and the well-being of the Amazonian peoples. Without inner conversion, there will be no real transformation.
What recent lessons strengthen this path of commitment?
The Water Summit was a very eloquent sign. It left important lessons and generated a collective awareness of the centrality of water and territory as common goods. That message was reinforced in Belém and is part of a broader path of commitments for life in the Amazon, where everything is connected.
Finally, how does this message relate to the VI General Assembly of CEAMA in Bogotá?
Everything we experienced and expressed at COP30 is a strong motivation for the VI General Assembly of CEAMA. In Bogotá, we are called to discern together how to continue strengthening a Church with an Amazonian face, synodal and committed to socio-environmental justice. From Belém to Bogotá, we reaffirm that the future of the Amazon is built by walking together, listening to the cry of the peoples, and assuming, as a Church and as a society, the responsibility to care for life in all its forms.