In the Shadows of the State

A new report by Amazon Underworld and Amazon Watch reveals the mechanisms of control used by criminal networks, the capture of territories and the structural absence of effective state governance in the tri-border area between Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.

It provides a detailed account of the control exercised over daily life, commerce and the everyday activities of local communities, as well as the forced recruitment of minors – turning the tri-border into one of the most violent regions in Latin America.

In recent years, the tri-border area has seen the assassination of social leaders, multiple massacres in communities, forced displacement and even attacks on the armed forces.

‘A hub for organised crime’

The investigation – the result of eight field visits conducted between November 2024 and July 2025 – is based on more than 70 confidential interviews with key actors, including Indigenous leaders, representatives of social organisations, ex-combatants, members of armed groups, public officials, journalists, prosecutors, environmental defenders and international officials.

The findings confirm what many communities already knew: armed groups are not only competing for routes, but also governing territories, leading to massive environmental destruction in the heart of the Amazon.

‘The tri-border has become a hub for organised crime and drug trafficking, but for this very reason, it could also become a laboratory for peacebuilding and drug policy. Only if the governments of Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru replicate what organized crime has long mastered — cross-border cooperation – will it be possible to reverse the dynamics of violence and environmental destruction.’

BRAM EBUS
Founder of Amazon Underworld

An unprecedented armed presence

Groups such as the Comandos de la Frontera (CDF), FARC dissidents, Los Choneros and Los Lobos exercise effective control over entire rural areas, surpassing state forces in influence and presence.

In regions such as Putumayo, Napo, Sucumbíos and Loreto, these structures operate with impunity, collect ‘taxes’, monitor movement and regulate everyday activities.

Beyond sporadic violence, armed actors have consolidated systems of social and political control: they impose curfews, infiltrate community structures, compel attendance at weekly meetings and replace traditional authorities.

In many cases, criminal governance is the only order available to abandoned communities.