In the heart of the Colombian Amazon, a clandestine trail has become an epicenter of armed conflict. Since May 26, the rural areas of San José del Guaviare have suffered intense confrontation between dissident groups, resulting in the recovery of 48 bodies, according to the Defensoría del Pueblo of Colombia.
Death and Displacement in the Amazon: Impact on Indigenous Peoples
The indigenous communities Jiw and Nukak face a bleak panorama of fear and displacement. These armed groups fight for control of strategic routes for cocaine and arms trafficking through the dense jungle. So far, ten Jiw families have fled to the urban area of San José del Guaviare, after crossing the Guaviare River from Mapiripán in Meta.
The conflict involves dissident factions of the former FARC, known as “Iván Mordisco” and “Calarcá Córdoba.” According to the Defensoría, the clashes have concentrated in rural areas such as La Siberia, Caño Cumare, and Pipiral.
Colombia’s Defense Minister, Pedro Sánchez, explained that these factions are disputing power over this territory, vital for drug trafficking and other illicit activities. Control of these areas allows strategic access to the north of Guaviare, the south of Meta, and towards the border with Venezuela.
The Tomachipán-Cumare trail, an illegal 47.5-kilometer path, constitutes the epicenter of this struggle. This corridor, which crosses the Nukak Reserve and reaches the Barranco Colorado Reserve, is used for smuggling cocaine and arms, according to a report by Mongabay Latam and Rutas del Conflicto.
Satellite data indicates the alarming growth of coca crops near this route, with a 58% increase in cultivated area since 2019. This phenomenon not only increases violence but also deforestation and pressure on the Amazon rainforest.
For indigenous communities, war is an everyday reality. Gunfire, lack of communication, and widespread fear are part of their daily lives. “People are on high alert, no one moves,” a farmer from Charras told Rutas del Conflicto and Mongabay Latam.
On May 27, ten Jiw families arrived at the sports center in San José del Guaviare, displaced by violence. Meanwhile, communication difficulties and territorial blockades keep other communities in dangerous isolation.
The Defensoría del Pueblo had warned about the resurgence of conflicts in its Early Warning 001 of 2025, highlighting the devastating impact on indigenous, peasant, and rural communities. The Constitutional Court of Colombia had already identified the Nukak and Jiw at risk of cultural disappearance due to the armed conflict in 2009.
Environmental damage is an unavoidable consequence of this war. The so-called Trocha Ganadera erodes the jungle, affecting protected areas like the Sierra de La Macarena National Natural Park. The expansion of deforestation and the arrival of illicit crops exacerbate ecosystem fragmentation.
The Defensoría has urged armed groups to avoid harming the civilian population and has requested urgent protection and humanitarian assistance measures. Additionally, it has called to stop forced recruitment, which has claimed the lives of 11 minors in the department of Cauca.
It is crucial to establish humanitarian corridors, ensure support for displaced families, and restore communication with indigenous communities. In this struggle for territorial control, the Jiw, the Nukak, and the Amazon itself are the ones who truly suffer.
