On this International Day of Indigenous Peoples, we are partnering with AIDESEP, the national Indigenous organisation in Peru, to celebrate the courage and resilience of Indigenous environmental defenders and call for their right to life to be upheld. These communities, whom we consider our partners and colleagues, bear a heavy burden in their efforts to protect the forests, often facing threats, aggression and even loss of life. These environmental and human rights defenders are people of great value to society, and their plight deserves our attention and support.

The Amazon rainforest, a critical ecosystem for our planet, is under increasing pressure from illegal mining and other forms of deforestation. For Indigenous Peoples, protecting these forests means safeguarding their ancestral territories, traditional knowledge and way of life. However, this noble cause comes at great personal risk.

The Peruvian government faces significant challenges in exercising control over its vast territory, responding promptly to threats against Indigenous leaders, investigating acts of violence and ensuring justice for affected communities. These factors contribute to the alarming rise in violence and the increasing number of murders of Indigenous defenders.

The below data visualisation, created by desarro.io, shows that in the last 12 years (from 2013 to 2024), 35 Indigenous leaders have been murdered defending the Peruvian Amazon. Based on the records kept by AIDESEP, we show the names of the people behind the statistics, their ethnic group and when they were murdered.

At RFUK, we are committed to supporting these communities and recognise the urgent need for action. We are reinforcing our risk management strategies and working to provide tools and support that are more effective for Indigenous defenders. We are also mobilising resources to offer timely support when needed. We are doing this with our partners in Africa as well, since increasing threats to environmental defenders are sadly not exclusive to Peru: they are a global phenomenon.

We call upon the international community, particularly those involved in environmental justice in the Peruvian Amazon and at a global scale, to join us in these endeavours. Through advocacy, political and financial support, and by raising awareness of these issues, we can make a significant difference.