Diego Calderón Franco teaches former FARC captors birdwatching for healing and work
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · May 3
Diego Calderón Franco teaches former FARC captors birdwatching for healing and work
5 articles · Updated · CBS New York · May 3
Kidnapped by FARC in 2004 for 88 days, Calderón Franco later trained ex-fighters near Tatamá National Park after the 2016 peace deal disarmed nearly 10,000 combatants.
Former guerrillas including Marcos Guevara say birding workshops opened paths into guiding, photography and conservation, while ecotourism brought more visitors and income to local businesses such as Montezuma Rainforest Ecolodge.
Colombia hosts about 2,000 bird species, with habitats partly preserved by decades of conflict that killed more than 450,000 people, though peace remains fragile and dissident FARC violence persists.
As Colombia's peace unravels, can birdwatching truly shield former rebels from resurgent violence?
With armed groups targeting participants, is ecotourism a path to peace or a dangerous illusion?
How Birdwatching is Driving Economic Recovery and Reconciliation in Colombia’s Former Conflict Zones
Overview
Since the 2016 peace agreement, Colombia has seen a remarkable growth in birdwatching tourism, especially in former conflict zones like Caquetá and Putumayo, thanks to improved safety and the country's rich bird diversity. This boom has created thousands of jobs and new business opportunities, with ex-combatants and local communities trained as eco-guides, turning their knowledge of remote areas into valuable assets. Birdwatching not only supports economic recovery but also encourages conservation, as protecting habitats becomes essential for tourism. Despite ongoing challenges like regional violence and infrastructure gaps, this model fosters reconciliation, national pride, and sustainable development, offering a hopeful path for post-conflict healing and environmental stewardship.