Indigenous Resistance in Amazon's Drug War

Deep in Peru’s Amazon, a shadow war is unfolding. Indigenous communities are being dragged

onto the frontlines of the narcotics trade with drug traffickers encroaching on their lands and

leaving threats in their wake. <break time="1.0s" /> Rivers are being contaminated by chemical runoff

from drug labs, forests are being cleared for coca monocultures, and sacred spaces

are being destroyed or abandoned. <break time="1.0s" /> The illicit activity threatens more than 270 Indigenous communities. <break time="1.0s" />

Despite these challenges, however, Indigenous resistance remains strong with many Indigenous

communities organizing traditional self-defense patrols. But, these patrols are

often no match for armed traffickers operating with impunity. <break time="1.0s" /> Unless the government takes action in