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At the intersection between sociology, anthropology and law, this article analyses the various legal instruments for the protection of the natural environment in Colombia. In their application, these instruments have produced a range of conflicts, stemming from ecosystem conservation strategies, legal complexity and disregarded social realities. Based on the analysis of the situation in the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta, the paper argues that the interaction of the different environmental protection and conservation measures is generating a tension between guaranteeing protection for human rights, people’s well-being and the ecosystems themselves.