Amazon Watch has published a report on the situation of indigenous communities in the Amazon, according to which 67% of Amazonian municipalities are home to transnational criminal networks that control revenues from gold, cocaine and timber. The main criticism is that state militarisation has failed to curb these economies, instead increasing the risks of confrontation and stigmatisation for indigenous peoples. Criminal groups have established a form of “criminal governance” that replaces the basic functions of the state and subjugates traditional authorities.
In the case of Colombia, the report focused on the department of Putumayo, where it states that in 2024, more than 4,000 indigenous people were subjected to confinement and forced displacement, and 34 human rights defenders were killed between 2022 and 2025.