The Regional Organization AIDESEP Ucayali (ORAU) and the Asociación Fronteras Amazónicas – AFRONTA presented the study "Situation of Indigenous Defenders in Ucayali 2024", research that warns of the growing level of threats and violence against Indigenous defenders of land and the environment in the Peruvian Amazon. The report draws on field information, official databases, cartographic analysis and interviews with leaders from ORAU's 13 member federations.
The study reveals that more than 100 Indigenous communities in Ucayali face conflicts over overlapping land rights, land trafficking, the expansion of monocultures and the presence of illegal activities such as logging, mining and drug trafficking. This convergence of threats has created an environment of high vulnerability for Indigenous defenders, many of whom have been murdered or criminalized for their work.
Ucayali is the region with the highest number of Indigenous defenders murdered nationally (11 cases recorded since 2010) and with the largest number of defenders at risk, accounting for 21.6% of the cases reported by the Ministry of Justice. The province of Puerto Inca (Huánuco) and the districts of Padre Márquez and Contamana (Loreto) also show high rates of environmental crime and territorial conflict.
The report documents how the lack of communal land titling, together with poor coordination between State bodies and weak implementation of the Inter-sectoral Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, has deepened the crisis. To date, more than 2 million hectares of Indigenous territory in Ucayali remain untitled.
In response, ORAU has created a Self-Protection Platform of Defenders for Life, involving its 13 federations, to strengthen the capacity to respond to risks and threats. The initiative includes an internal action protocol, rights training campaigns and advocacy with national and international bodies.
The publication of the report seeks to make visible the structural causes of violence against Indigenous defenders and to demand concrete action from the Peruvian State to guarantee their rights and their safety.
To draw attention to the persistent threats facing those who protect Amazonian territories, the report "Situation of Indigenous Defenders in Ucayali 2024" was presented, research carried out by the Regional Organization AIDESEP Ucayali (ORAU) and the Asociación Fronteras Amazónicas – AFRONTA in partnership with the State and Society Research Group (GIES) of the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru (PUCP).
The study offers a detailed, up-to-date picture of the vulnerability of Indigenous environmental defenders, mainly in the Ucayali region and in border territories of the departments of Huánuco (province of Puerto Inca) and Loreto (districts of Padre Márquez and Contamana).
It warns that more than 100 Indigenous communities are currently affected by territorial conflicts caused by overlapping land rights, drug trafficking and the construction of private roads, creating an environment of high conflict that puts the lives, wellbeing and safety of Indigenous defenders at risk.
The report stresses that, despite its severity, the situation is often underestimated in official records and public opinion. Like its previous edition, published in 2021, this new edition seeks to clarify the real scale of the threats, warning of rising violence and growing territorial insecurity.
The active involvement of ORAU and AFRONTA has been key to bringing Indigenous, technical and legal knowledge together in a single platform for analysis. This synergy has made it possible not only to document the problem but also to propose urgent action to protect defenders and their territories.
The report would not have been possible without the valuable collaboration of Indigenous leaders, federations and communities who shared their territorial knowledge during meetings held in a range of settings, from offices to river boats.
Indigenous organizations and defenders urge the Peruvian authorities and civil society to take immediate, structural measures to halt the threats facing Indigenous peoples in the Amazon and to guarantee full respect for their rights.
Download the report here: Study of Defenders in Ucayali 2024.
