Inside the Truth Demands: Abby Reyes' story of oil wars, murder, and the fight for climate justice

Each week, One Earth is proud to feature a Climate Hero from around the globe, working to create a world where humanity and nature can thrive together.

In a world where environmental defenders risk their lives to protect the planet, Abby Reyes stands as a force of resilience and courage. Her memoir, Truth Demands: A Memoir of Murder, Oil Wars, and the Rise of Climate Justice, is both a deeply personal narrative and an urgent call for action.

Through this gripping and heartbreaking account, Reyes weaves together her journey of loss, activism, and healing, shedding light on the brutal realities of extractive industries and the communities fighting back.

A story of loss, resistance, and climate action

At the heart of Truth Demands is the tragic 1999 murder of three environmental and Indigenous rights advocates: Terence Freitas, Ingrid Washinawatok, and Lahe'ena'e Gay. Reyes, who was Freitas’s partner, was thrust into a battle not only for justice but also for the protection of Indigenous sovereignty and environmental integrity. The book traces her path from grief to activism, highlighting the struggles of the U’wa people in Colombia, whose lands and livelihoods were threatened by oil extraction.

Reyes writes, “I walked into adulthood through the gates of these murders.” Her storytelling is intimate and immediate, marked by visceral moments like her visit to the Oakland redwood grove twenty years after the murders, where she quietly honored the memory of those lost.

What happened in Colombia: The murders and the quest for truth

The 1999 murders were carried out by members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), who kidnapped the three activists after their work with the U’wa community. Their bodies were later found in a rainy cow field just across the Venezuelan border, bound, hooded, and shot multiple times. Although FARC publicly accepted responsibility, many questions remain about who ordered the killings and what role the surrounding conflict over oil exploration may have played.

Twenty years later, Colombia's Truth and Recognition Chamber—part of the Special Jurisdiction for the Peace (JEP)—reached out to Reyes and the other families, seeking their demandas de la verdad, or truth demands. As Reyes explains, “They wanted to know our stories. They wanted to know our questions. They wanted to put the voice of the victims in the center of the process.” The Chamber's victim-centered approach marked a pivotal moment, asking those affected to share not only facts but also the meaning they sought in the aftermath.

Reyes, who had lived for years with unanswered questions, welcomed the chance to engage, even as she recognized the complexity of the process: “I picked up the letter again and recognized what it offered. They were seeking the truth and wanted to know our demands for it.”

Keeping “Earth's Blood” in the ground

Throughout Truth Demands, Reyes skillfully connects the dots between the local and the global, showing how corporate greed, state violence, and environmental destruction are intertwined. She recounts her early experiences working with Indigenous communities in the Philippines, where she first encountered the devastating impacts of extractive industries. These experiences, coupled with her time in Colombia, cemented her belief that true climate justice requires keeping fossil fuels in the ground.

If oil is taken from the earth, our mother, she will dry out and will not produce what we humans need to live. If we do not take care of the earth, then the earth cannot continue to sustain us.”
—U’wa wisdom shared in Truth Demands.

This powerful assertion resonates deeply in today’s climate crisis, where frontline communities—typically Indigenous—are the first to suffer the consequences of extraction and climate change. From rising sea levels swallowing ancestral lands to violent crackdowns on those resisting fossil fuel development, Indigenous peoples continue to bear the brunt of a crisis they did little to cause. 

Their struggles, often ignored or underreported, are intertwined with centuries of colonization, displacement, and ecological degradation. Reyes’s work elevates these truths, reminding readers that environmental justice must begin with Indigenous sovereignty and the right to say no to extraction on sacred land.

Healing grief, eco-anxiety, and our connection to nature

Truth Demands is also a meditation on healing. Reyes writes about moving through grief, learning from the wisdom of Indigenous traditions, and finding ways to keep going despite overwhelming loss. 

She recalls a conversation with her son, Kiran, who, after hearing about the destruction of the Santa Ana River, despaired, “It’s too late.”  While eco-anxiety is valid and the weight of hopelessness is shared by many, Reyes reminds us that it is not too late—there is still time to act, to repair, and to imagine a different future.

Truth Demands offers a guide for that imagining. The book has been praised for its lyrical writing, deep political insights, and unflinching honesty. Environmental justice advocate Miya Yoshitani describes it as “A single searing thread connecting one story of murder and grief to the story of climate change, and all we need to organize, imagine, and fight for collectively to overcome it.”

Abby Reyes: A life dedicated to justice and advocacy

Beyond her work as an author, Abby Reyes has spent decades advocating for climate justice, Indigenous rights, and environmental protection. She is an internationally recognized human rights lawyer and environmental activist who has worked extensively to support Indigenous communities in their legal battles against extractive industries. Reyes has held leadership roles in multiple nonprofit organizations, leveraging legal and policy expertise to advance environmental justice on both local and global scales.

As the former Director of Sustainability at the University of California, Irvine, she developed programs that integrated social and environmental justice into institutional policy. She has also been an active voice in global climate negotiations, advocating for Indigenous sovereignty and sustainable development models that prioritize community-led solutions.

Reyes’s background in law and grassroots organizing makes her uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between frontline communities and international advocacy efforts. Her work continues to inspire climate defenders worldwide, proving that persistence, truth, and collective action can lead to meaningful change.

A must-read for environmental activists

For those engaged in the fight against climate change and biodiversity loss, Truth Demands is essential reading. It reminds us of the immense sacrifices made by frontline defenders and the urgent need to support movements that resist extraction and destruction. 

“This is how we get where we are going: with each step in right relationship to the ancestors, the earth, our communities, and future generations.”
—Abby Reyes, Truth Demands.

Reyes does not offer easy solutions, but she does offer something just as valuable: a vision of perseverance, solidarity, and the power of truth. Her story is an invitation to all of us to step into that path, to listen, to learn, and to act.

Learn more about Truth Demands