Press Room: Santa Marta Conference | Indigenous and Forest Communities, Transitioning Away from Fossil Fuels

April 16 - Pre-Conference Press Briefing

Date: Thursday, April 16, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. COT// 10:00 a.m. EDT // 15:00 BST// 16:00 CET
Media advisory: ENGLISH// ESPAÑOL// PORTUGUÊS
LINK TO RECORDING: [Cick here]
LINK TO TRANSCRIPT: Forthcoming.

Panelists:

• Luz Dary Carmona Moreno, Vice Minister for Environmental Land Use Planning, Colombian Ministry of Environment. She joins to share the government perspective and what is needed from state representatives to advance the fossil fuel phase.

• Oswaldo Muca, General Coordinator of The National Organization of the Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon (OPIAC). As Colombia’s leading Indigenous organization, OPIAC speaks for all Indigenous representatives attending the summit.

• Dr. Marcel Llavero Pasquina, Researcher, University of Barcelona, Spain. His prolific research examines how the oil and gas sector shapes environmental conflicts and delays the fossil fuel phase out.

• Paola Yanguas Parra, Policy Advisor, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD). Paola focuses on the managed phase-out of oil and gas production in line with the Paris Agreement, with an emphasis on fossil fuel producers.

• Alana Manchineri, Lead of International Advocacy at the Coordination of Indigenous Organizations of the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB). Alana is an Indigenous communicator from the Manchineri people of Brazil, working to advance Indigenous rights, territorial protection, and global advocacy for Amazonian peoples.

• Giny Alba, OPIAC). Giny is a Piratapuyo Indigenous leader from Guainía, Colombia, and a lawyer specialized in Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. She was part of Colombia’s negotiating team for COP30. Currently, she represents OPIAC as Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission of Indigenous Peoples.

  
  

Forestry, Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities

• WhatsApp group:

  • Click here to join this media WhatsApp group to schedule interviews during the conference, receive live updates and press materials related to the conference.

• Fact sheets

  • Indigenous Peoples' Land Rights

• Additional resources

  • COIAB - Recommendations by Indigenous Peoples for a just transition

  • Atlas of Unburnable Fossil Fuels: University of Barcelona

  • Dr. Marcel Llavero-Pasquina 

  • Oil and Gas Expansion in the Colombian Amazon | International Institute for Sustainable Development

  • Leading the Transition Locally | International Institute for Sustainable Development

  • Drawing the Line and Holding It: What existing moratoria, bans, and restrictions reveal about transitioning away from fossil fuels | International Institute for Sustainable Development

  • Progressing the Transition Away From Fossil Fuels | International Institute for Sustainable Development

Spokespeople Available for Interviews

To coordinate an interview with the spokespeople below, please contact Abubakr Uqdah ([email protected]; WhatsApp: +1 202-553-0314).

Scientists & Academics

• Marcel Llavero-Pasquina, PhD, Researcher, Atlas of Unburnable Fossil Fuels, Universitat de Barcelona.

  • Areas of expertise: local communities, exclusion zones, environmental defenders on the front lines against fossil fuels, the economics of the transition away from fossil fuels, and analysis of corporate actors in the phase-out.

• Martí Orta, PhD, Principal Investigator, Atlas of Unburnable Fossil Fuels, Universitat de Barcelona.

  • Areas of expertise: Indigenous Peoples, local communities, exclusion zones, and the economics of the transition away from fossil fuels.

• Fatima Eisam Eldeen, Researcher, Atlas of Unburnable Fossil Fuels, Universitat de Barcelona.

  • Areas of expertise: local communities, exclusion zones, and the economics of the transition away from fossil fuels.

• Jessica Dempsey, Professor, University of British Columbia.

  • Areas of expertise: the economics of the transition away from fossil fuels and extractivism.

Indigenous Peoples & Local Communities

• Patricia Suarez, Advisor, OPIAC.

  • Area of expertise: Indigenous Peoples.

• Oriana Cortes, Advisor, OPIAC.

  • Area of expertise: Indigenous Peoples.

• Ginny Alba, Adivsor, OPIAC.

  • Area of expertise: Indigenous Peoples.

• Marcelo Mayancha, President, Nacionalidad Shiwiar.

  • Areas of expertise: Indigenous Peoples, exclusion zones, and environmental defenders on the front lines against fossil fuels.

• Timoteo Huamoni, Director, Territorio de la Nacionalidad Waorani del Ecuador.

  • Areas of expertise: Indigenous Peoples, exclusion zones, and environmental defenders on the front lines against fossil fuels.

• Juan Carlos Ruiz, President, Nacionalidad Sapara del Ecuador.

  • Areas of expertise: Indigenous Peoples rights, exclusion zones, and environmental defenders on the front lines against fossil fuels.

Policy Experts

• Jose Fernando Gómez Rojas, Executive Director, CREER.

  • Areas of expertise: Indigenous Peoples, local communities, the economics of the transition away from fossil fuels, lived experience in a site of oil exploitation, re-skilling workers from the energy industry, and analysis of corporate actors in the phase-out.

• Valentina Rincón Páez, Renewables and Transition Minerals Program Leader, CREER.

  • Areas of expertise: Indigenous Peoples, local communities, the economics of the transition away from fossil fuels, lived experience in a site of oil exploitation, and re-skilling workers from the energy industry.

• Juan Pablo Osornio, Engagement and Policy Director, Earth Insight.

  • Areas of expertise: Indigenous Peoples, exclusion zones, the economics of the transition away from fossil fuels, and analysis of corporate actors in the phase-out.

• Ignacio Arróniz Velasco, Senior Associate for Diplomacy, Earth Insight.

  • Areas of expertise: Indigenous Peoples, exclusion zones, the economics of the transition away from fossil fuels, analysis of corporate actors in the phase-out, and geopolitics and big-picture climate and nature politics.

• Paola Andrea Yanguas Parra, Policy Advisor – Energy, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).

  • Areas of expertise: analysis of corporate actors in the phase-out and the managed phase-out of oil and gas production in line with the Paris Agreement, with an emphasis on fossil fuel producers.

• Anahi Wiedenbrug, Debt Lead, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).

  • Area of expertise: the economics of the transition away from fossil fuels.

• David Manley, Lead, Green Fiscal Policy, International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).

  • Area of expertise: tax policy, including green incentives and fossil fuel subsidies.

• Nnimmo Bassey, Director, IWG/Health of Mother Earth Foundation.

  • Areas of expertise: local communities, environmental defenders on the front lines against fossil fuels, and lived experience in a site of oil exploitation.

• Rajneesh Bhuee, Lead, Just Transition, Recourse.

  • Areas of expertise: local communities, environmental defenders on the front lines against fossil fuels, the economics of the transition away from fossil fuels, public energy finance, World Bank and multilateral development banks, minerals and mining in Africa, renewable energy finance, climate finance, fossil gas, fossil fuel financing loopholes, energy transition, critical minerals, and the Africa region.

• Friederike Strub, Advisor, Recourse.

  • Areas of expertise: local communities, exclusion zones, environmental defenders on the front lines against fossil fuels, the economics of the transition away from fossil fuels, IMF debt and climate, Article 2.1c of the Paris Agreement and UNFCCC processes, gender justice, women's rights in development, economic and social rights impacts of international financial institutions, and the World Bank.

• Yblin Roman Escobar, Policy Lead, SIRGE Coalition.

  • Areas of expertise: Indigenous Peoples rights, exclusion zones, environmental defenders on the front lines against fossil fuels, the economics of the transition away from fossil fuels, and analysis of corporate actors in the phase-out.

• Ana Carolina González, Senior Director of Programs, Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI).

  • Areas of expertise: Indigenous Peoples rights, local communities, the economics of the transition away from fossil fuels, and analysis of corporate actors in the phase-out.

Youth Groups

• Sebastián Herrán, Director of Human Rights, Life of Pachamama.

  • Areas of expertise: local communities, environmental defenders on the front lines against fossil fuels, and the economics of the transition away from fossil fuels.

• María Angelica Barrera, Directora Democracy and Government Programs, Life of Pachamama.

  • Area of expertise: Youth advocacy groups.

• Andrés Felipe Fernández Morales, Diversity and Justice Lead, Life of Pachamama.

  • Areas of expertise: Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendants, local communities, environmental defenders on the front lines against fossil fuels, and lived experience in a site of oil exploitation.