Drugs are becoming institutionalized: Interview with Ticuna leader in Peru’s Amazon

Insight summary

• •Drug trafficking and illegal mining have led to significant deforestation and water pollution affecting Ticuna and Yagua communities in the tri-border Amazon region of Peru, Colombia, and Brazil.
• •Approximately 60 to 70% of forests in Ticuna communities have been deforested due to these criminal activities.
• •Substance abuse among Ticuna youth has become institutionalized, with many children working in coca fields, exposed to drugs and alcohol.
• •The lack of alternative employment forces families to involve children in coca harvesting, harming their education and wellbeing.
• •Contamination from chemicals used in mining and cocaine production has devastated local waterways and fish populations, threatening food security.
• •State presence is weak in this remote border region, hindering effective intervention and support.
• •Ticuna leaders from the three countries are organizing a cross-border congress to unify ideas and propose solutions to their governments.