Exclusive-Colombia's Amazon reserves suffer staffing delays, risking environmental damage

FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of the Amazon river, before the signing of a document by Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos that will allow for the conservation of the Tarapoto wetland complex in Amazonas, Colombia January 18, 2018. REUTERS/Jaime Saldarriaga

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Protected areas in Colombia's Amazon region are at risk of increased damage because of lengthy staffing delays as the government has yet to renew contracts with national parks staff this year, according to government data and interviews with officials, would-be employees and environmental advocates.

Reuters spoke to 11 people who reported contract delays for would-be workers at nine reserves in the Amazon region, including Chiribiquete, which spans an area more than twice the size of Wales and is home to several Indigenous communities.