Ivan Andres Ariza Suarez

I am an Environmental Engineer and hold a Master's degree in Rural Development. I am currently a doctoral student in Environmental and Rural Studies at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. My research focuses on socio-environmental conflicts arising from extractive industries, with an emphasis on oil exploration in Arauca, Colombia. My doctoral project examines the social representations, power dynamics, and economic practices that emerge in these conflicts, as well as their implications for environmental justice and for processes of peacebuilding in rural territories marked by historical inequalities and political violence. From a political ecology and environmental justice perspective, I analyze how local communities, corporations, and the State interact in relation to the distribution of natural resources, environmental impacts, and the narratives that either legitimize or challenge extractivism. In addition, I have gained experience in applied research projects and consultancy with public entities such as municipal governments, as well as with the private sector, addressing issues of territorial planning, environmental management, and rural education. This trajectory has allowed me to connect academic research with institutional and community-based management, strengthening my capacity to generate critical and applied knowledge to better understand socio-environmental conflict and to propose pathways toward dialogue and citizen participation.