“Los Jaguares del Yuruparí” and the Indigenous Territorial Entities Advocacy: Zoonoethics, One Health, and Intercultural Governance in the Colombian Amazon

Abstract In 2025, Colombia advanced the long-delayed implementation of Indigenous Territorial Entities (ITEs), establishing fiscal and institutional provisions for their functioning and coordination with other territorial entities. Beyond updating the country’s political–administrative map, the ITE framework enables Indigenous governments to exercise authority in key domains – such as education, health, culture, and justice – through coordinated mechanisms with the State, strengthening territorial autonomy and intercultural governance. The recognition of Yaigojé Apaporis reflects decades of Indigenous resistance and stewardship centred on food sovereignty, biodiversity protection, and collective well-being, despite pressures from illegal logging, mining, armed conflict, and the marginalization of Indigenous knowledge. Grounded in Yuruparí cosmology and traditional governance, local communities have developed a protection model that interlinks ecology, interculturality, and indigenous health. Analysed through zoonoethical and decolonial One Health perspectives, this case illustrates how Indigenous-led governance, now reinforced by the ITE framework, strengthens multispecies health and self-determination, contributing to debates on decolonizing One Health and advancing ethical, equitable interventions rooted in Indigenous knowledge systems. Information © The Author 2026