Kakataibo Indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon have recently intensified their non-violent actions to prevent further land invasions by drug-producing gangs. However, this increases the risk of retaliatory violence. Unfortunately, two weeks ago one of their leaders “disappeared.”

They asked us to support their efforts in formally denouncing his “disappearance” and raising political awareness about their ongoing struggles against the organized crime networks threatening their lives and territories.

As of this writing, Mariano’s whereabouts remain unknown, and the case is being investigated as a possible homicide.

The Kakataibo people have resisted land invasions and violence for centuries, but now narcotraffickers are now attempting to take over their remote forests, turning them into a hub for cocaine production and transportation.