Peru court jails four over murder of Indigenous Amazon defender

A Peruvian court has convicted four men in connection with the 2023 murder of Quinto Inuma Alvarado, a prominent Indigenous Kichwa leader and environmental defender, sentencing them to prison terms ranging from 15 to 35 years. The verdict, delivered on Monday evening, marks a significant moment in the country's efforts to address violence against those protecting the Amazon.

Genix Saboya Saboya and Limber Ríos Ruiz each received the maximum sentence of 35 years for their roles in the killing. Segundo Juan Villalobos Guevara, a timber operator identified by prosecutors as the mastermind, was sentenced to 28 years and four months. Jerly Saboya Saboya, convicted as an accomplice, received a 15-year term.

Inuma, 50, was fatally shot on November 29, 2023, while returning by boat to his community, Santa Rosillo de Yanayacu, in the northern Amazonian region of San Martin. He had been attending a national meeting of environmental and land defenders. A woman traveling with him was also wounded in the attack.

Prosecutors argued that Inuma was targeted for his long-standing efforts to halt illegal logging on community land. He had previously filed complaints against Villalobos over such activities. The court also ordered compensation of 750,000 soles (about $223,500) for Inuma's heirs and 250,000 soles (about $74,500) for the wounded survivor, Axeldina Barbarán Tapullima, though these payments are contingent on the ruling becoming final after any appeals.

Legal experts and advocates have hailed the decision as a landmark. Cristina Gavancho, a lawyer with the Legal Defense Institute who accompanied the families, called it an "exemplary sentence" and noted it was the first case in Peru involving the killing of an Indigenous defender to result in such severe penalties. Tom Younger of the Forest Peoples Programme described it as a "decisive step towards justice," signaling that impunity for such crimes is not inevitable.

The trial, which began in January, lasted nearly eight months and included hearings in the Amazonian city of Tarapoto. Inuma's son, Kevin Arnol Inuma, expressed a mix of happiness and sadness, saying the verdict sets a precedent for Indigenous peoples and environmental defenders. He added that his family still fears for their safety but hopes other families of murdered defenders will see swifter justice.

The case has drawn attention to the broader dangers facing Indigenous communities in Peru's Amazon, where illegal logging, drug trafficking, and land grabbing are rampant. Just a day before the verdict, another Indigenous leader, Américo Pascuala Tomisha of the Ashéninka community, was shot dead while patrolling territory in the Ucayali region, underscoring the ongoing threats.