The Latin American Ecology Network is born

Within the framework of the International Colloquium Perspectives on Ecology in Latin America, held between June 23 and 25 at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), the Latin American Network of Ecology, an initiative that brings together scientific societies and ecological institutions from nine countries in the region.

The Network emerged as a collective response to the need to strengthen scientific ties in Latin America in the face of the growing ecological, social, and epistemological challenges of the 21st century. Its creation consolidates years of exchanges among ecological communities and institutions in the region and represents a milestone in the construction of a critical, situated ecological science committed to social and environmental justice.

The Network is based on principles of horizontality, equity, and respect for biocultural diversity. It proposes an ecology oriented towards social transformation, from an inter- and transdisciplinary Latin American perspective, promoting knowledge as a common good.

Among the agreed actions are the call to more institutions in the region, the holding of a working forum at the First Trinational Meeting of Ecology (Argentina, Chile and Uruguay) in Mendoza (AR) in October 2025, and the organization of the first Network Meeting in Mexico in 2026, in parallel to the X Mexican Congress of Ecology.

The Network was founded by representatives from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, Uruguay and Venezuela, including: the Argentine Association of Ecology (AsAE), ABECO (Brazil), SOCECOL (Chile), the Mexican Scientific Society of Ecology (SCME), CODEUY (Uruguay), SUHFECIM (UNAM), COLNADE (Colombia), the Institute of Ecology and Systematics (Cuba) and the Venezuelan Society of Ecology.

The event, organized by six entities of the UNAM (Faculty of Sciences, Institute of Biology, Institute of Ecology and the University Seminars: SUHFECIM, SUSMAI and SUE), was attended by the Rector of the UNAM, Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas, the Secretaries of State of the current Mexican Government, Alicia Bárcena (Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources and former executive secretary of ECLAC) and Rosaura Ruiz (Secretary of Science, Humanities, Technology and Innovation), as well as 48 speakers (10 virtual) from 10 countries, social organizations and representatives of indigenous communities.

The presentation of the Network, as well as the three days of the event, was broadcast live on YouTube.