Gangs threaten Indigenous communities on Brazil-Peru border

Indigenous communities on the Brazil-Peru border are facing an unprecedented threat from organized crime gangs, with armed intruders entering villages and forcing leaders to seek emergency government protection. The Ashaninka people, who have successfully protected their forest for decades, say they are being 'taken hostage' by transnational criminal networks Source: The Guardian.

What happened

On July 6, five armed men speaking Spanish entered the Ashaninka village of Apiwtxa, looking for leaders. Villagers hid children and notified authorities. The army arrived hours later, but the gunmen had fled. This was the second recent intrusion Source: The Guardian. Ashaninka leaders describe this as the worst danger they have faced, and are in Brasília this week to appeal to President Lula's government for support Source: AP News.

The broader threat

The violence is part of a wider expansion of drug trafficking routes in the Amazon. The Solimoes River route, controlled by the Brazilian gang Red Command, moves cocaine from Peru, Colombia and Bolivia to Atlantic ports. Indigenous territories, with dense forest and limited oversight, become attractive hiding spots and recruitment grounds for criminal groups Source: AP News. Experts say the forest these communities help protect also leaves them vulnerable Source: AP News.

Response and concerns

Leaders warn that without sustained state protection, communities may take up arms. 'Either the state steps in to provide protection, or communities will start organising to defend themselves – and that would be disastrous,' said Francisco Piyãko of the Organization of Indigenous People of the Juruá River Source: The Guardian. Police officials acknowledge a 'blind spot' in security services for Indigenous peoples .