Indigenous Youth from Loreto and Amazonas Raise Their Voices to Defend Their Territories

Posted on 11 March 2025

25 communicators from Amazonas and Loreto are working to highlight the threats facing their territories.

They aim to establish a network of communicators to disseminate information about the threats encountered by indigenous communities in Bagua, Condorcanqui, and Datém del Marañón.

According to the Supervisory Agency for Private Investment in Telecommunications (Osiptel), in 2022, 84.4% of Peruvian households had at least one smartphone. Additionally, the Media Essentials 2024 study highlights that TikTok and Facebook are the most widely used social media platforms in Peru. However, among all the information being consumed, how much relates to the challenges faced by the Amazon and the communities living within it?

Social media trends and viral content often overshadow stories like that of Víctor Pérez Chumpi, an indigenous youth from the native community of Chapis, located in Datém del Marañón. For the past eight years, he has suffered the consequences of an oil spill that contaminated the stream supplying water and food to 200 families. “We live far away, but what happens to us matters. I want to learn how to communicate it so that the authorities address our complaints and other Peruvians become aware of what is happening in the Amazon,” says the young Awajún.

Like Víctor, 25 young talents from the Regional Organisation of Indigenous Peoples of the Northern Amazon of Peru (ORPIAN-P), the Regional Coordinator of Indigenous Peoples of San Lorenzo (CORPI SL), the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Awajún (GTAA), and the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Wampis Nation (GTANW) have been selected to strengthen their communication skills.

The training programme covers the fundamentals of communication and practical tools for developing comprehensive campaigns. It also seeks to establish a network of indigenous communicators who will raise awareness of the threats in Bagua, Condorcanqui, and Datém del Marañón. “We need to transfer our knowledge to the people present in the territory. This is an excellent way to hear their voices, understand their needs, and ensure that those far removed from this reality learn about their challenges and support them,” says Samanta Jiménez, a communications specialist at WWF Peru, who is leading the training sessions with indigenous youth.

The first training sessions took place between December 2024 and February 2025 in Chiriaco, in the native community of Soledad, and in San Lorenzo. These workshops were led by a team of communicators from WWF and the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest (AIDESEP). The training included exercises where participants identified issues affecting their communities and developed innovative strategies to raise awareness of the situation in the Amazonian territories.

Evaristo Pujupat, Director of Communications and Transport for the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Wampis Nation (GTANW), stated: “In the province of Condorcanqui, there are no universities or institutes where one can study communications. In my case, I had the privilege of studying elsewhere, and now I pass on my knowledge to new generations. Having opportunities like this allows us to strengthen our school of communicators.”

Developing the communication skills of these young individuals will enable them to create content that reaches the digital and globalised world while also fostering greater public engagement with the realities of their territories and supporting their self-defence efforts.

This initiative is part of the BLF Andes Amazon project, funded by UK International Development under the Biodiverse Landscapes Fund. It is implemented by a consortium led by Practical Action and comprising NCI, AIDESEP, WWF, TERRA NUOVA, and COSPE, aiming to transform current systems in the Andes Amazon Landscape—a transboundary region between Peru and Ecuador that hosts exceptional biodiversity and cultural richness.