Download in English (8 MB) | Versión en español (8 MB)
Drawing on four new field visits and dozens of interviews with officials, community leaders, and researchers, this report documents how dramatically the region’s landscape has shifted in just one year: escalating U.S. military intervention, incoming hardline governments across all three countries, and a “war on narco-terrorism” that risks deepening – rather than resolving – decades of armed conflict and state neglect.
The report reveals how illegal gold mining has overtaken coca as the primary economic driver for organized crime, how the Comandos de la Frontera maintain a cross-border presence despite ongoing peace negotiations in Colombia, and how militarization in Ecuador and Peru has brought credible reports of torture, forced disappearances, and violations of Indigenous Peoples’ rights. It also examines Washington’s growing footprint through initiatives like the Escudo de las Américas (Shield of the Americas), and the toll these geopolitical dynamics are taking on Amazonian communities caught between armed groups and the state.
Facing this critical juncture, the report calls urgently for de-escalating military responses in favor of a regional agenda centered on community protection, Indigenous environmental governance, and long-term justice. Read the full report to understand what’s at stake – and why the path chosen in the coming months will shape the future of one of the continent’s most biodiverse and volatile regions.
