Colombia announced that Indigenous communities in the region will co-manage Tayrona Park, located in Santa Marta. During a visit by the country’s president, Gustavo Petro, marking the 500th anniversary of the oldest surviving city in South America, the head of state said that this co-management of one of Colombia’s most important natural parks will allow the Indigenous communities of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to have direct access to the sea.
Colombia announces indigenous communities will Co-manage Tayrona Park
Gustavo Petro visited the city of Santa Marta on Tuesday, July 29, to commemorate the 500th anniversary of the founding of what is now the oldest surviving city in South America.
During his stay, Petro announced a multimillion-dollar state investment in the region, primarily dedicated to definitively solving the historic water crisis and restoring key areas, including the historic center of the capital of the Magdalena Department.
That same day, the president visited the Tayrona Indigenous communities inhabiting the highlands of the Sierra Nevada and emblematic sites in Santa Marta, such as the Quinta de San Pedro Alejandrino, where Simón Bolívar died in December 1830.
At this nationally significant site, he formalized his government’s decision to allow these communities to participate in managing Tayrona Park, one of Colombia’s most visited and important natural parks.
“Tayrona Park spans 573,000 hectares, thanks to this government, which expanded it by 173,000 hectares. But this great park—now the largest in the Caribbean—is managed by white-run entities, respectable ones. Here, we aren’t racist either; races do not exist—ethnicities and cultures do,” stated Gustavo Petro during the announcement.
He then instructed the Minister of Environment, Lena Yanina Estrada Añokazi, to process the corresponding co-management agreement:
“What I want here, Minister, is for Tayrona Park to be co-managed with the Kogui Indigenous people and other communities of Magdalena,” he emphasized.
Tayrona Park co-management to provide sea access for Colombian Caribbean indigenous communities
Petro further explained: “Co-management isn’t just about administering tourism, which will undoubtedly come to Tayrona Park, but also about guaranteeing access to the sea for the Indigenous peoples of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, without exclusion.”
In the same context, he requested the National Land Agency (ANT) to expedite the process of returning lands adjacent to the mouth of the Don Diego River to Indigenous communities—as it is a sacred tributary and historically belongs to these Native groups.
“This is about rebuilding the bonds of history, humanity, and nature. We must proceed institutionally through the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture, with the ANT, to make this a reality,” stressed the president.
Finally, he directed the ANT to implement Agrarian Reform in this region so that peasants, Indigenous peoples, and Afro-descendant communities can access fertile land:
“The ANT must develop an extensive Agrarian Reform program on Magdalena’s fertile lands, extending to the sea, so this becomes a win-win—not a lose-lose,” he concluded.
Land Policy: One of the Petro Government’s most successful reforms
The land policy under Gustavo Petro’s government has become one of its most prominent achievements. In a country historically marked by land ownership inequality, the administration has prioritized land distribution as central to its social justice agenda and fulfillment of the 2016 Peace Agreement with the former FARC guerrilla group.
To date, the government has distributed over 600,000 hectares to farmers—including more than 30,000 hectares to Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities—though this remains far from the three-million-hectare target established in the Peace Agreement’s first point: comprehensive rural reform.
The National Land Agency has led processes of land allocation, restitution, and formalization, prioritizing areas affected by armed conflict and structural poverty.
Beyond land distribution, the government has complemented allocations with productive projects and technical assistance to ensure sustainability and autonomy for beneficiary communities.
This comprehensive approach has been highlighted by international organizations and represents a significant step toward territorial equity and lasting peace. The agrarian reform, delayed for decades, is finally taking shape—though the challenge remains to fully implement what was agreed upon nine years ago in Havana.