Peru court hands lengthy prison terms in killing of Indigenous Amazon defender
Summary
A court in Peru sentenced four men to prison for the 2023 killing of Quinto Inuma Alvarado, an Indigenous leader who defended the Amazon rainforest from illegal logging. Two men received 35-year sentences, one received 28 years, and an accomplice was sentenced to 15 years. The case is seen as important for holding people accountable for violence against Indigenous and environmental defenders.Key Facts
- Quinto Inuma Alvarado was a 50-year-old Indigenous Kichwa leader from Peru’s northern Amazon.
- He was shot and killed on November 29, 2023, while returning to his community by boat.
- Four men were convicted of murder-for-hire related to his killing, including a timber operator accused of ordering the attack.
- Sentences ranged from 15 to 35 years in prison.
- Inuma had repeatedly reported illegal logging and other crimes in his community’s territory.
- Police protection was ordered for Inuma, but local authorities faced challenges patrolling the remote area.
- The trial lasted nearly eight months and involved witness testimonies and hearings in the Amazon region.
- The case is the first in Peru with such severe sentences for killing an Indigenous defender and may influence future cases.
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