The Wampis: First Indigenous Autonomous Government in Peru Fights Back Against Deforestation (Spanish)

The Wampis Nation is made up of thousands of people whose ancestors have lived in the Amazon rainforest in the north of Peru for centuries.

Increasing raids from loggers, miners, and those searching for fossil fuels, in addition to political changes that favor industrial exploitation of natural resources, have left the Wampis more and more worried about the future of their home. Several representatives noted that they realized that they would only be able to protect their people and their forest-based livelihoods if they developed a sound and legally-recognized organizational structure.

Read the full Mongabay story in Spanish here.