Asheninka Leader from Dulce Gloria Reaffirms Territorial Defense: “Our Territory Is Not for Sale”
Arlindo Ruiz Santos.
From the Native Community of Dulce Gloria, in the Yurua region (Atalaya), Indigenous leader Arlindo Ruiz Santos shares a moving and urgent testimony about the challenges Indigenous peoples face in the face of illegal logging, criminal activity, and the absence of the State.
“I’m not a professional, but I’m connected to nature. I don’t live in Pucallpa or do business. I am a defender of the forest,” says Arlindo, who also serves as a community specialist at UAC.
In his message, Arlindo raises his voice to demand respect for Indigenous territories and the right of Indigenous peoples to live in peace on their ancestral lands:
“Our territory is not for sale.”
From the border between Peru and Brazil, the Asheninka community of Dulce Gloria faces multiple environmental and social threats. However, its leaders continue to defend the forest, the water, and their culture with strength and dignity.