Narcotics Trafficking and Money Laundering Plague Peru
A Growing Crisis in the Amazon Region
A disturbing report has shed light on the alarming scale of narcotics trafficking and money laundering in Peru, where nearly 30% of the world’s cocaine is produced. The country’s once-contained cocaine industry has expanded deep into the Amazon and reached the Brazilian border, with coca cultivation rising a staggering 30% between 2020 and 2021.
Coca Production in the Jungle
VICE’s investigation revealed the intricate process of cocaine production in Peru’s VRAEM region, where coca leaves are crushed and mixed with salt, acid, or bleach to extract the drug. The resulting paste is then cooked with acetone and hydrochloric acid to produce a crude form of cocaine.
- The Cocaine Production Process: Coca leaves → Crushing and mixing with chemicals → Extraction of cocaine paste → Cooking with acetone and hydrochloric acid → Crude cocaine production
- “We do it out of necessity,” said one member of a local smuggling group. “There is no other income.”
Vigilante Groups Fight Back
In response to the escalating violence and threats from cartels, many indigenous farming communities have formed civilian self-defense groups called autodefensas. These groups are armed and determined to protect themselves against narcoterrorism.
- Autodefensa Groups: Armed and organized to protect themselves against cartels
- “We follow the laws of the Incas: don’t be a liar, don’t be a thief, and don’t be lazy,” said one member of an autodefensa group. “Whatever the national police do, we do faster and better.”
Indigenous Communities Under Siege
However, in other regions, cocaine production has led to increased violence against indigenous communities who have not formed autodefensas. In Eastern Peru, various tribes are under attack by cartels seeking to seize their land.
- Indigenous Tribes Targeted: Various tribes in Eastern Peru face attacks from cartels
- “We as a community are like a family,” said one member of the Kakataibo people, a group targeted by narco-traffickers since 2019. “Just last week, we were struck by the murder of one of our leaders. We cannot help but feel defenseless.”
A War They Never Started
The Indigenous group faces ongoing, unsolicited attacks – becoming part of a war they never started. Since the making of Vice News’ documentary, another leader of the Kakataibo people went missing in June and was later found shot.
- Increased Violence: Ongoing attacks on indigenous communities
- Peru’s government has been criticized for its lack of action to address the issue, with many indigenous communities taking matters into their own hands but without the experience or desire to work with firearms.
Conclusion
The narcotics trafficking and money laundering crisis in Peru has reached alarming proportions, leaving indigenous communities vulnerable to violence and exploitation. It is imperative that the government takes immediate action to address this issue and provide support to those affected by this war they never started.