On 14 March, 55 year-old Estela Casanto Mauricio, founder of the Asháninka community of Shankivironi in the Perené valley of Junín, became the seventh human rights defender to lose her life during the pandemic. Dragged from her bed, beaten and killed by a blow to the head, her body was recovered the following day at the bottom of a 200-metre cliff.

The arrest of two colonists ensued on the evidence of a long-standing dispute with the leader over their family’s spurious claim to land within the indigenous community’s territory. As frequently occurs in such cases, the accused was released within days, this time on the grounds that Estela Casanto had “choked while chewing coca”.

The Asháninka leader of the regional organisation CECONSEC, Miqueas Sanchoma, has demanded a full investigation of the case to prevent impunity for the killers. He also appealed to the Ombudsman’s Office (Defensoría del Pueblo) for support in demarcating indigenous communities to avoid further conflict. He explained that it was common practice for unscrupulous colonists to seize plots within indigenous communities with a view to selling them on to others.

In neighbouring Ucayali, Berlin Diques, the leader of ORAU, explains that 60 of the region’s 300 communities still lack land titles. As a result, they face the rapid growth of organised crime arising from large-scale deforestation and the illegal cultivation of palm oil and coca. This, he says, enjoys the support of corrupt regional officials as well as the police and army.

“The reaction of our community members”, says Diques, “is to protect the forest and their territory, but there is also a reaction from the colonists”. The leader has repeatedly suggested holding a multi-sectoral meeting to map out a strategy to deal with community problems. These have seen the deforestation of over 42,000 hectares in one year and the appearance of 46 clandestine airstrips now used for drug trafficking.

“We no longer believe in working groups or dialogue with individual agencies” he says, “instead we have requested the prime minister Violeta Bermúdez to convene a session with representation from every ministry”.

His view chimes with that of the UN Special Rapporteur, who has expressed concern since 2018 that the vulnerability of indigenous peoples and their communities have increased globally owing to government failures to protect their rights. Disputes over the control of natural resources lead to violence and impunity for the perpetrators. Corruption is also part of the problem, involving protection or tolerance of illegal industries in the forest. According to the rapporteur the two main issues are justice and preventive measures. These include provision of a secure environment for indigenous leaders, investigation of violent incidents and the adoption of stronger protective measures. The Peruvian state, the rapporteur concludes, is duty bound to respond to this call to attention.