COP16: Yvan Gil and David Choquehuanca Advocate for Biodiversity Preservation

Gil committed to promoting necessary transformations to provide an opportunity for “life,” identifying capitalism as the primary factor responsible for biodiversity loss. Oct, 29, 2024 Photo: EFE

October 29, 2024 Hour: 7:45 pm

Both leaders underline the urgency of adopting a more conscious and respectful approach towards nature, highlighting that the planet’s survival depends on a radical change in our practices and mindsets.

The Venezuelan Foreign Minister, Yvan Gil, and the Bolivian Vice President, David Choquehuanca, have denounced capitalism as the main culprit behind biodiversity destruction, advocating for a shift towards an economic model that prioritizes life and harmony with nature.

Gil committed to promoting necessary transformations to provide an opportunity for “life,” identifying capitalism as the primary factor responsible for biodiversity loss.

In his analysis, Gil argued that the world is at a crossroads between two economic models: one based on “exploitation,” which represents a legacy of imperialism and extractivist colonialism, and the other, a “survival” model that defends his people. In this context, he called for a “concrete action plan” over the next two years to address the challenges facing biodiversity.

Meanwhile, Bolivian Vice President David Choquehuanca Céspedes defended a “horizon of life” inspired by indigenous worldviews, advocating for harmonious coexistence that respects the laws of Mother Nature.

He emphasized the need to raise awareness about the “matricide” for which we are responsible. “If Mother Earth could speak, she would demand that we recognize our responsibility in the mass extinction of species and in the pollution of oceans, where millions of tons of waste have been dumped,” he expressed.

The statements from Yvan Gil and David Choquehuanca invite deep reflection on our relationship with the environment and the economic structures that influence it. Both leaders underline the urgency of adopting a more conscious and respectful approach towards nature, highlighting that the planet’s survival depends on a radical change in our practices and mindsets.

At a critical moment for biodiversity, their words resonate as a call for collective action and the pursuit of alternatives that prioritize life over profit. The responsibility lies not only with governments but with each of us as global citizens.