Maradona, movie stars and flying jaguars triumph in Argentina

The Pizarro reserve in northern Argentina, where the Great American Chaco Forest meets the Yungas Forest was a haven for wildlife and the Wichi people who depended on the forest for their livelihoods.

A haven that is until February 2004, when the state government decided to put the reserve on the auction block, sold to the highest bidder to be ripped up and converted into soy plantations.

We responded immediately with actions in the forest and cyberactions from those who couldn't be there in person. The voices of activists from countries near and far were being heard by the government of Argentina and the message was clear, stop the destruction.

Only a few weeks ago the battle to save the forest was still raging with bulldozers being stopped in the act of clearing more of the reserve by activists riding motorbikes and flying in helicopters painted like Jaguars.

In the middle of all the activities to save Pizarro, we asked prominent Argentinean actor Ricardo Darin to help out. Not only did he support the campaign but he also asked one of Argentina's favourite sons, football legend Diego Maradona to 'put his hand up' for the forest as well, and he did.

Maradona, on his own top rating TV talk show, appealed directly to the president to save the reserve from the bulldozers and the soy plantations. A week later, we met with the Argentinean President Néstor Kirchner along with a group of artists and indigenous activists and Pizarro was saved.

The 22,000 hectares that remained intact from the original reserve will form a new national reserve with the indigenous Wichi people having exclusive rights to use over 2,000 hectares of the new reserve. Gaining ownership over their traditional land gives the Wichi people a chance to improve the quality of their lives and continue their traditional way of life in the forest.

Around 3,000 hectares of the original reserve had already been destroyed by the time the bulldozers were finally silenced so an area the same size neighbouring the original reserve with similar habitat will be added to once again make the reserve 25,000 hectares.

This just goes to show what a group of committed activists, with a lot of energy, creativity and help from some friends can achieve. Pizarro reserve is saved!