Asháninka leaders warn of organized crime in Peru-Brazil border

Asháninka indigenous leaders from Peru and Brazil are warning of a dangerous escalation in transnational organized crime within the Amazonian border region between Ucayali, Peru, and Acre, Brazil. The leaders report that criminal networks are utilizing the border as a strategic corridor for narcotics, illegal mining, land trafficking, and illegal logging.

Following an armed invasion of the Kampa do Rio Amônia indigenous territory on July 6, a delegation of four Asháninka leaders met with the Brazilian Presidency and various ministries to demand urgent territorial protection. The leaders are calling for a binational cooperation strategy between Peru and Brazil to address the crisis.

Indigenous representatives emphasize that police intervention alone is insufficient. They argue that the criminal activity is being fueled by the unregulated opening of roads in the region. Francisco Piyãko, coordinator of the Organization of the Indigenous Peoples of the Juruá River (OPIRJ), stated that these networks represent a transnational expansion into indigenous territories that serve as the final barriers against illegal occupation in the Amazon.