Men charged with contract killing of Indigenous leader to go on trial in Peru

Five men are going on trial in Peru for the alleged contract killing of Quinto Inuma Alvarado, a Kichwa Indigenous leader, on November 29, 2023. Inuma, from the San Martín region, had repeatedly denounced illegal logging and drug trafficking within his community's territory. Prosecutors are seeking life sentences, marking the first time contract killing charges have been applied in the death of an Indigenous environmental defender in Peru. The trial is significant as it will test Peru's ability to hold perpetrators accountable for violence linked to illegal activities in the Amazon, a dangerous region for environmental defenders. Indigenous groups and environmental advocates will closely watch the trial, as Inuma's killing followed years of threats related to his land defense efforts.

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