New scenarios of non-violent conflict in indigenous communities: The case of REDD+ in the Colombian Amazon.

Despite debates about their effectiveness, forest carbon offsets are one of the most traded credits on the voluntary carbon market. Projects like REDD+ are often implemented in the lands of Indigenous Peoples and local communities. Studies show that projects contribute to social conflict within and between participating communities, but little is known about how these conflicts unfold. This study aims to shed more light on the mechanisms that shape these conflicts through the lens of local institutional dynamics, namely community governance, elite capture, and transparency. Based on interviews conducted in 10 Indigenous communities in the Colombian Amazon involved in four REDD+ projects, we found that projects are closely associated with elite capture, with local community and community association leaders dominating the decision-making processes. This fragments trust in leaders and undermines project legitimacy. Also, the prospect of carbon payments disrupts communities and triggers conflicts over their distribution. These effects are moderated by decision-making mechanisms and are exacerbated by transparency issues. Although focused on Indigenous communities in the Colombian Amazon, our findings can inform similar contexts with autonomous community governance where REDD+ interventions are implemented.