Santa Martha Kakataibo community faces drug trafficking and land loss

The Kakataibo community of Santa Martha in the Peruvian Amazon is facing significant threats from drug trafficking and illegal logging. Residents have reported the presence of illicit coca crops and continuous incursions by illegal loggers in the northern forested areas of their territory.

In December 2025, the Huánuco Regional Government issued a resolution approving the georeferencing of the community's territory. However, this official demarcation resulted in a reduction of land compared to the community's original registered maps. This territorial reduction has prompted community members to attempt to manually trace their own borders to defend their legal security and prevent the establishment of non-indigenous settlements that could facilitate clandestine drug trafficking airstrips.