Exploring the Limits of Indigenous Peoples' Resistance against Coca Cultivation and Drug Trafficking in Peruvian Amazonia

Abstract

Indigenous lands in Peruvian Amazonia are experiencing a rapid expansion of coca cultivation and drug trafficking. This expansion can be either negotiated or contested, depending on contextual elements. Nonetheless, contesting the expansion of the illicit economies exposes indigenous leaders to great risks. This article examines the expansion of coca cultivation and drug trafficking in Peruvian Amazonia, along with the development of an indigenous repertoire of resistance in Ashaninka and Kakataibo lands. This article explores diverse forms and scales of indigenous resistance, including customary, armed and legal actions both within and beyond indigenous lands. Nonetheless, despite these efforts, most strategies prove unsuccessful. Results suggest that when institutional justice and protection towards indigenous peoples are deficient, resistance comes at an elevated human cost and proves ineffective in halting the expansion of coca cultivation and drug trafficking.