Bruce Babbitt Speaks at ACT Event

[translated from spanish]
Washington. Bruce Babbitt, who was Interior secretary during the Clinton administration and is an active conservationist, yesterday praised the work that the newspaper El Comercio has done in spreading the great environmental issues of concern, not only in our country but also throughout the world.

Babbitt made that statement during a meeting of the Amazon Conservation Team (ACT), which took place in the capital of the United States and with the participation of renowned academics, politicians, and conservationists. ACT is chaired by Mark J. Plotkin, a leading ethnobotanist and expert on neotropical flora.

According to Babbitt, the great contribution of El Comercio is that it provides a balanced view and, at the same time, has bravely enabled progress in regulations necessary for environmental conservation in Peru and created a strong awareness among the population regarding the importance of sustainable development, while helping companies to make more responsible decisions with respect to the environment. “It’s something valuable and unusual in an environment of such importance,” he added.

Babbitt said that this was due to a longstanding commitment to sustainable development and environmental causes by the Weekend section editor, Martha Meier Miró Quesada, and because the publication chief, Francisco Miró Quesada Rada, knows that ensuring environmental conservation was “essential for strengthening democracy.”

Meier Miró Quesada thanked Babbitt’s for his words on behalf of our publication.

A Hero for the Planet

Plotkin founded ACT in 1995 in partnership with the Costa Rican conservationist Liliana Madrigal. His vision is to protect the Amazon in partnership with local indigenous populations.

To date, ACT has a successful model that has benefited 32 tribes in Colombia, Brazil, and Suriname. For his achievements, the prestigious magazine “Time” named Plotkin a hero for the planet in 2001.

As head of ACT, Plotkin has expressed concern about the situation of indigenous peoples of Peru and indicated his interest in developing partnerships as ACT has done in other countries in the region.