The contributions of Andean countries to sustainability. The case of the Amazon

Abstract

This article analyzes the legal and institutional contributions of Andean countries to sustainability through the recognition of nature and the Amazon as subjects of rights. Its objective is to examine how Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru, and Colombia have incorporated, within their constitutional, legal, and jurisprudential frameworks, a biocentric paradigm that redefines the relationship between law, nature, and sustainability. Methodologically, the study adopts a qualitative documentary approach based on the analysis of normative, jurisprudential, and doctrinal sources through the functional comparative law method, which makes it possible to examine how different legal systems respond to equivalent environmental protection challenges. The findings show that Ecuador and Bolivia stand out for the constitutional recognition of the rights of nature, while Colombia and Peru have advanced mainly through important judicial milestones, such as the recognition of the Atrato River, the Marañón River, and the Colombian Amazon as subjects of rights. It is concluded that these transformations represent a significant contribution of Andean ecological constitutionalism to the international legal debate on sustainability, although challenges remain regarding the effective implementation of judicial and normative decisions, regional coordination, and institutional capacity to guarantee the protection of the Amazon biome.