Indigenous leaders to report Amazon threats from illegal economies to human rights commission

Five indigenous leaders from the Peruvian Amazon are set to present a formal complaint to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) in Washington D.C. They will denounce the escalating violence and threats faced by women who are actively defending their ancestral territories against the encroachment of illegal economies.

The hearing, titled "Situation of Indigenous Women Defenders in Contexts of Illegal Economies," will focus on the impacts of drug trafficking, illegal mining, logging, and land trafficking. These activities have led to increased violence, criminalization, displacement, and a lack of state protection for indigenous women defenders. The leaders aim to bring international attention to their plight and seek justice.

Representing various indigenous organizations, including AIDESEP and CORPI-SL, the delegation will share specific cases of threats and violence. They argue that while they strive to protect the Amazon, the Peruvian state has enacted laws that facilitate its destruction. "We come to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to demand respect for our rights and territories," stated Kelly Valera Silva, one of the participating leaders.

The organizations requesting the hearing are calling on the IACHR to recommend that the Peruvian state implement robust protection measures for indigenous defenders. Key demands include ensuring access to justice with an intercultural and gender-sensitive approach, recognizing criminalization as a risk factor, respecting the right to prior, free, and informed consent, and taking decisive action against the illegal economies devastating indigenous territories.