Peru is debating a series of Congressional proposals that critics say would loosen protections for Indigenous communities and their territories across the Amazon. The initiatives would expand “national interest” exceptions for resource extraction, alter how PIACI (Indigenous peoples in isolation and initial contact) are protected, and reshape who decides where…
A new road proposal in Peru’s Amazon — the Yurimaguas–Balsapuerto–Moyobamba highway — has raised grave concerns among the Indigenous Shawi people. The planned route, which would slice through vital Shawi lands, is viewed not as a pathway to connectivity but as a gateway to environmental degradation, land grabbing, illicit coca…
In Peru’s Amazon, the race for gold is creating a serious mercury poisoning crisis. As gold prices reach record highs, more people are digging illegally for it. But the cost is huge — poisoned rivers, sick fish, and communities facing slow, invisible damage. A Catholic bishop in Peru’s Amazon, Miguel…