Natalia Torres Garzon, Author at Toward Freedom

Demonstration against Libero Copper in Mocoa, Putumayo. The march was the first initiative of a four-day event called the Festival in Defense of the Mountain, Water and Life in protest of the copper mining project. March 2022 / credit: Antonio Cascio

Mining Struggle in Colombia Raises Questions About Petro-Márquez Government That Rode to Victory with Indigenous & Peasant Support

Natalia Torres Garzon June 21, 2023 Natalia Torres Garzon

A Canadian mining company has appeared to move forward on exploring mining possibilities in Colombia's biodiverse Putumayo department, raising questions about the progressive government of Gustavo Petro and Francia Márquez, who won power by promising environmental protection. Natalia Torres Garzon reports. Photos by Antonio Cascio.

Indigenous chiefs took part in Festival do Futuro (Future Festival) on January 1. They made the gesture with their hands that represents support for President Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva / credit: Antonio Cascio

Lula Returns to Power, Welcoming an Indigenous Vision of Governance in Brazil

Natalia Torres Garzon January 30, 2023 Natalia Torres Garzon

For the first time in Brazilian history, representatives from Indigenous communities have been placed in positions of power. They told Natalia Torres Garzon respecting Indigenous territory is essential to protecting the environment. This comes after thousands of acres of Indigenous lands were seized during the term of former President Jair Bolsonaro.

Thousands of extreme right-wing Brazilians gathered January 8 in Three Powers Square in Brasilia in a violent protest against Brazilian President Luiz Ignácio "Lula" da Silva and to call for Bolsonaro’s return to power. The Bolsonaristas arrived in the capital from different parts of the country in organized buses. The government has been investigating who financed the transport of these groups, as well as the role played by the military and the police force. The Supreme Court also has authorized the investigation of Bolsonaro for his alleged participation in the attack / credit: Antonio Cascio

Photo Essay: How the Right-Wing Attack in Brazil Looked on the Ground

Natalia Torres Garzon January 16, 2023 Natalia Torres Garzon

Antonio Cascio's photos show the extent to which former President Jair Bolsonaro's supporters went to express their call for Bolsonaro to return to office in Brazil, days after Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva was inaugurated as the new president.

How Sicily Is Tackling Wildfires Amid a Global Climate Crisis

Natalia Torres Garzon December 8, 2022 Natalia Torres Garzon

Over the last 14 years, Sicily has reported more than half of Italy's wooden (and non-wooden) burned area. Throughout the world, fires have intensified over the last 20 years, with more than 1 billion acres—or 11 percent—of tree cover lost. This not only affects biodiversity and human settlements close by. The greenhouse gasses emitted exacerbate the current climate crisis. Natalia Torres Garzon reports. Photography by Antonio Cascio.

Dilio Muelas Morales, 62, a traditional doctor of the Misak Indigenous community in Colombia, inside the ‘Michaya,’ where he receives patients / credit: Antonio Cascio

What Health Care in Colombia Could Look Like Under the Petro Government

Natalia Torres Garzon September 26, 2022 Natalia Torres Garzon

Oppressed communities in Colombia see newly-elected President Gustavo Petro’s proposal to reform healthcare—among other aspects of Colombian society—as aligning with their culture as well as their spiritual understanding, reports Natalia Torres Garzon.

Clara Ines Yalanda, 36, in front of the house in an informal settlement in Popayan, Colombia, where she lives with her 4-year-old daughter, Valentina. Fifteen people live in the house, including Ines's parents, her brothers and sisters, and their children / credit: Antonio Acascio

What Petro & Hernández Offer Colombia’s Urban Poor As They Head Off in the Second-Round Presidential Election

Natalia Torres Garzon June 17, 2022 Natalia Torres Garzon

Sunday’s second-round presidential election in Colombia could transform the lives of residents in informal settlements, which make up 65 percent of housing in the country's cities. Former-militant-turned-politician Gustavo Petro and millionaire businessman Rodolfo Hernández approach the country's urban housing crisis and environmental policy in different ways, reports Natalia Torres Garzon with photography by Antonio Cascio.