By Lorena Mendoza Egúsquiza
Sunday, January 12, 2026.– Families of the Chapra Nation are beginning the year with deep concern following a serious report that emerged in the city of Iquitos. In a joint operation carried out by the National Police and the Anti-Trafficking Unit, between six and eight youths from the Chapra Indigenous People were rescued. They are believed to have been taken from their ancestral territories under false promises of employment opportunities.
According to preliminary information from the Iquitos Public Prosecutor’s Office, two adult men are allegedly involved in the transfer of the minors from the province of Datem del Marañón, located near the border with the San Martín region, to the city of Iquitos. From there, the youths were reportedly taken deeper into the forest for purposes allegedly linked to illegal logging activities.
Among those rescued are seven minors and nine youths who have just turned 18. The minors are currently under the protection of the Special Protection Unit (UPE). Meanwhile, the youths who are now of legal age will be released once they have completed their statements before the authorities.
Regarding this situation, Olivia Bisa Tirko, President of the Chapra Nation, has expressed her deep concern, as these youths remain alone in the city of Iquitos, without psychological support or financial resources to meet their basic needs or to return safely to their territory of origin, which is located a week away by river and land travel.
As a result of the operation, authorities detained two individuals in flagrante delicto, who are believed to be responsible for transporting the youths and are allegedly linked to a network of labor exploitation or human trafficking.
This incident does not constitute an isolated case. In October 2025, the Regional Coordination of Indigenous Peoples of San Lorenzo (CORPI) reported the disappearance of a minor from the Awajún people in the Amazonas region, who was allegedly contacted through the social media platform Facebook with false promises of employment. The girl was eventually able to return home after several weeks, having fled from Iquitos, where she had reportedly been taken under false pretenses. Ver la nota de AIDESEP aquí.