Jhonatan Andres Cabrera Vasquez

Jhonatan Andres Cabrera Vasquez (16) is part of the Siona Indigenous community in Colombia. He joined the Indigenous Guard at just five years old after witnessing violence in his territory and the risk of losing the knowledge of community elders.

For more than a decade, Jhonatan has supported territorial protection through logistics, strategy and community action. In a region affected by armed conflict, he has also taken part in and led peace dialogues with armed groups to help protect his community’s children from forced recruitment and violence.

Jhonatan’s connection to ancestral knowledge has also supported major efforts beyond his community. During Operation Hope, he used his traditional knowledge of the jungle to assist Indigenous Guards and military forces in the successful rescue of four Indigenous children who survived 40 days in the Amazon.

Guided by his mother, Ema Johana Vasquez, and Siona community elders, Jhonatan continues to combine ancestral knowledge with action. His work has directly reached and positively impacted more than 1,500 people in his region