A Model Indigenous Territory in Brazil's Amazon Seeks Protection From Criminal Gangs
Leaders say armed men threatened families and searched for local chiefs as Red Command-linked trafficking routes expand through Indigenous land.
- Earlier this month, armed men invaded Kampa Indigenous territory along the Amonia River, threatening families and searching for Ashaninka leaders. This escalation marks a dangerous shift for the community.
- The Solimoes River route, a primary cocaine corridor from Peru, Colombia, and Bolivia to Atlantic ports, has expanded into remote Indigenous lands. Criminal organizations exploit dense forest and lack of government oversight.
- Remote locations, lack of government oversight, and language barriers "make Indigenous peoples a vulnerable population and an attractive source of labor for criminal organizations," said Col. César Mello, a retired Amazonas state police officer.
- Francisco Piyáko, coordinator of the Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Jurua River, filed a formal complaint with Acre state authorities, prompting security force deployment. Leaders warn such presence is usually temporary.
- Earlier this year, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Flávio Dino ordered the federal government to intensify efforts against Amazon criminal organizations. Despite this, Ashaninka leaders say state protection remains insufficient and fails to provide continuous security.
23 Articles
23 Articles
The Toronto Star
A model Indigenous territory in Brazil’s Amazon seeks protection from criminal gangs
SAO PAULO (AP) — The Ashaninka Indigenous people — who recovered their territory in the Brazilian border with Peru from settlers three decades ago, established and sustained their own governance, and grew crops while protecting the forest — have long…
Associated Press News
A model Indigenous territory in Brazil's Amazon seeks protection from criminal gangs
The Ashaninka Indigenous people, who reclaimed their territory on the Brazil-Peru border decades ago, now face threats from gangs and drug traffickers.
Indigenous lives and land under threat due to illicit industries in the Amazon
Intimidation is constant for many Indigenous people living across the Amazon. Land that is rich in natural resources is where illicit industries thrive, threatening the land and livelihoods of hundreds of Indigenous Amazonian communities. Approximately 1.5 million Indigenous people live in the Amazon, spread across nine countries in South America. Many of these individuals are vulnerable to degradation of their environment, displacement of their…
A delegation of four leaders of the Ashaninka people landed in Brasília on Thursday to fulfill an intense agenda of emergency meetings with the federal government, demanding a coordinated and binational response against the fulminant advance of transnational organized crime on the border between Brazil and Peru. The offensive occurs after a serious attack recorded on July 6, when heavily armed men invaded the Kampa Indigenous Land of the Amônia …
Indigenous leaders give UN a roadmap for protecting their peoples and lands
Indigenous delegates from every continent listen during a session of the UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (EMRIP) in Geneva last week. Photo by Dionne Phillips This story is published through the Indigenous News Alliance. Indigenous communities around the world face mounting — and colliding — impacts from climate change, violence, resource extraction, artificial intelligence, and many other crises. And at the United Nation…
The indigenous people of Ashaninka — who, three decades ago, recovered their territory on the Brazilian border with Peru, formerly occupied by settlers, established and maintained their own system of governance, and cultivated the land while protecting the forest — have long been an example of success for communities throughout the Amazon. However, their way of life is seriously threatened.
Coverage Details
Bias Distribution
- 40% of the sources lean Left
Factuality
To view factuality data please Upgrade to Premium
