1 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:08,080 Speaker 1: Hey, y'all, it's Samantha and Annie's not with me today, 2 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:10,680 Speaker 1: but welcome to stuff. Mom never told you a production 3 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:20,520 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Yeah, y'all. Like I said in the introduction, 4 00:00:20,760 --> 00:00:24,759 Speaker 1: Annie is out. She is missing a very important component 5 00:00:25,120 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: the Internet. Yes, the downfalls of working from home, we 6 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:35,760 Speaker 1: do have to rely heavily on the Internet. Unfortunately it 7 00:00:35,840 --> 00:00:39,520 Speaker 1: just didn't work out for Annie. Today. I miss her, Yeah, 8 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: I just miss her. And today we are talking about 9 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:45,920 Speaker 1: indigenous activists from Latin America for our latest Feminist Around 10 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:50,000 Speaker 1: the World, and we're celebrating Indigenous People's Day as well 11 00:00:50,040 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: as Hispanic Carriage Month, which is still happening as we 12 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: record this episode. I guess I'm recording it by myself. Oh. 13 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: But with all that celebrating that is happening, we are 14 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: actually talking about the amazing works of Colombian ecologists on 15 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:10,680 Speaker 1: Halia Maldonado and Maldonado's work has been a fierce battle 16 00:01:10,720 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 1: with some big players, and some have actually called her 17 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:17,480 Speaker 1: the guardian of the Amazons. She has been a force 18 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:19,680 Speaker 1: when it comes to protecting the land and the creatures 19 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 1: that inhabitant. She is what many would picture when it 20 00:01:22,720 --> 00:01:25,759 Speaker 1: comes to being an environmental activist, someone who not only 21 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 1: studied the land, but truly watched over it to protect 22 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:31,400 Speaker 1: and fight for the lives of the many inhabitants. She 23 00:01:31,440 --> 00:01:34,360 Speaker 1: even has a quote about how these lands, as an 24 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,640 Speaker 1: indigenous person, you know that these lands will either accept 25 00:01:36,640 --> 00:01:39,560 Speaker 1: you or reject you, and she feels very home there. 26 00:01:40,160 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 1: She actually first visited the rainforest more than twenty years 27 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:45,840 Speaker 1: ago and was deeply affected by what was happening to 28 00:01:45,920 --> 00:01:50,120 Speaker 1: the environment and immediately started focusing her education to advocate 29 00:01:50,160 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: for the inhabitants and the sources there. In two thousand 30 00:01:53,080 --> 00:01:55,080 Speaker 1: and three, she was able to get permission to live 31 00:01:55,120 --> 00:01:58,280 Speaker 1: in the Amazon by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, 32 00:01:58,600 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: which is a gorilla group involved with the Colombian conflict 33 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:04,800 Speaker 1: and has been working to protect the lands. Her story 34 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:07,280 Speaker 1: has traveled far and has even brought a lot of 35 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: danger her way, including a lot of death threats, but 36 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,679 Speaker 1: she still pushes forward. Her work has included conservation work 37 00:02:13,720 --> 00:02:17,799 Speaker 1: through her Ngo Fandacion in Tropica, as well as working 38 00:02:17,800 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 1: with animals and rescuing animals. Essentially living in Leticia, a 39 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:24,200 Speaker 1: remote area on the borders of Columbia, Brazil, and Peru, 40 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:27,639 Speaker 1: she has spent more than twenty years recording, documenting, and 41 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:30,800 Speaker 1: defending the forest. According to a twenty twenty two Civil 42 00:02:30,880 --> 00:02:34,480 Speaker 1: Rights Defenders article quote, Moldonado is head of the environmental 43 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: organizations in Tropica. Located in the Colombian town Leticia by 44 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,800 Speaker 1: the Amazon River. The organization works against the illegal trafficking 45 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:46,160 Speaker 1: of wildlife and conducts educational programs for indigenous communities. In 46 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:49,399 Speaker 1: a new project, together with Civil Rights Defenders in Tropica, 47 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: has now started to educate high school children about their 48 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 1: human rights and how to stay it up against injustice 49 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:57,480 Speaker 1: and corruption. The goal is to create a better tomorrow 50 00:02:57,520 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: for both the students and society at large. All of 51 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:03,160 Speaker 1: this comes a lot of risk. Here's another quote from 52 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 1: that article. Columbia is one of the deadliest countries for activists. 53 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: This article came out, I believe, in twenty twenty two. 54 00:03:09,600 --> 00:03:11,600 Speaker 1: Last year, at least one hundred and forty five community 55 00:03:11,680 --> 00:03:14,639 Speaker 1: leaders and rights defenders were killed in the country, and 56 00:03:14,760 --> 00:03:18,000 Speaker 1: Helia herself has received death threats due to her activism, 57 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 1: and in twenty nineteen she got a secure temporary relocation 58 00:03:21,880 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 1: through Civil Rights Defenders Emergency fund. Working to protect human 59 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:28,560 Speaker 1: rights and the environment comes with a huge risk. She 60 00:03:28,600 --> 00:03:30,520 Speaker 1: even talked about not having children in fear that she 61 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:33,160 Speaker 1: would be murdered for her work, so a lot of 62 00:03:33,160 --> 00:03:36,560 Speaker 1: things to consider. Her works have also included fighting to 63 00:03:36,560 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 1: stop the trafficking of night monkeys, which she discovered was 64 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: happening illegally for malaria research. In twenty fourteen, she was 65 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: able to win a lawsuit against the company, the Columbia 66 00:03:46,280 --> 00:03:49,600 Speaker 1: Ministry of Environment, and the regional environmental authorities, setting a 67 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:52,040 Speaker 1: precedent to protect these species and much of the other 68 00:03:52,080 --> 00:03:56,640 Speaker 1: wildlife there. And she's continued to persist, working constantly to 69 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,040 Speaker 1: better her community and the world. She has worked to 70 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: mentor the next generation of activists as well, not only 71 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:04,520 Speaker 1: to carry on her work, but to empower them as well. 72 00:04:04,800 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 1: She told the Civil Rights Defender quote, the Amazon region 73 00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 1: is a black holes corruption, smuggling, in impunity. We leave 74 00:04:10,840 --> 00:04:14,000 Speaker 1: nothing for the younger generation. There is an increase in drugs, 75 00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:17,640 Speaker 1: child prostitution, and children dropping out of school. In this project, 76 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 1: we want to empower young people and train them in 77 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:23,000 Speaker 1: civic participation and accountability. We want them to be able 78 00:04:23,040 --> 00:04:26,040 Speaker 1: to protect their rights for their future. And of course, 79 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:29,719 Speaker 1: all of her works have earned her very well deserved accolades, 80 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: including the Whitley Award in twenty ten and National Geographics 81 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:36,359 Speaker 1: Awards for the Leadership and Conservation in twenty twenty. And 82 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,719 Speaker 1: Helia Maldonado has done a lot of work and continues 83 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: do a lot of work. It's amazing to see how 84 00:04:42,760 --> 00:04:45,719 Speaker 1: she continues to push and really mentor others to step 85 00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 1: up to be indigenous leaders themselves. Oh so there you go. 86 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:54,240 Speaker 1: If you have any comments or thoughts, or additional information 87 00:04:54,480 --> 00:04:57,680 Speaker 1: or requests, or just want to say hello, please do so. 88 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: We love those. You can email us at stuf Media, 89 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:03,280 Speaker 1: Mom Stuff at iHeartMedia dot com. You can message us 90 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:05,920 Speaker 1: on Instagram or TikTok at stuff Moom Never Told You. 91 00:05:06,279 --> 00:05:08,280 Speaker 1: We have a book out which you can buy at 92 00:05:08,279 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: stuff you should read Books dot com or at your 93 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:13,640 Speaker 1: local bookstore. We have a tea public store now with 94 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:16,880 Speaker 1: an amazing T shirt of Annie as Disco Look, which 95 00:05:16,920 --> 00:05:19,480 Speaker 1: you should absolutely check out. Thanks as always to our 96 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:23,440 Speaker 1: super producer Christina, executive producer Maya, our contributor Joey, and 97 00:05:23,880 --> 00:05:27,280 Speaker 1: again shout out to my Internet lists co host Annie 98 00:05:27,880 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 1: I Miss your Girl. Stuff Mom Never Told You is 99 00:05:30,240 --> 00:05:33,640 Speaker 1: a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts from iHeartRadio. You 100 00:05:33,640 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 1: can check out the iHeartRadio app, Apple podcasts, or wherever 101 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:38,160 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.