Indigenous communities in the Amazon are facing an unprecedented threat. As cocaine production expands beyond the traditional Andean borders into the Amazon lowlands, a new wave of violence and environmental destruction has erupted. This dangerous trend has spread to the Peruvian and Brazilian borders, bringing with it a wave of deforestation and pollution in some of the most pristine parts of the Amazon.
Almost 30% of the world’s cocaine is now produced in Peru. Indigenous communities, long the custodians of this vital ecosystem, are now on the front lines of the fight against the encroachments of drug cartels seeking to seize their land to expand cocaine production fields.
A recent 24-minute VICE documentary brings the harsh reality of this conflict to light. VICE reporters were put in the hands of drug traffickers to provide an inside look at the cocaine production networks wreaking havoc in the Amazon.
The documentary also includes interviews with the Kakataibo people, one of our most important indigenous allies in resisting these illegal activities. Their stories highlight the courage and resilience of indigenous communities fighting not only for their lands, but for the survival of the Amazon itself.
This growing crisis underscores the importance of the Amazon Underworld campaign, launched by Amazon Watch in collaboration with our Indigenous partners. The goal of this campaign is to raise global awareness and provide direct support to Indigenous organizations on the front lines of this fight.
As the Amazon region is increasingly threatened by illegal activities such as cocaine cultivation and illegal mining, it is more important than ever to stand by these communities and support them in their efforts to protect their territories and preserve the Amazon’s biodiversity.
To learn more about this campaign and the broader context of these challenges, you can read the full report here.
