Alto Esperanza, the first community in initial contact to be titled in Peru, enters the final phase

Members of the Amahuaca Indigenous community of Alto Esperanza — a people in initial contact — gathered in their ancestral territory.

The Amahuaca Indigenous community of Alto Esperanza, located along the Inuya River in one of the most remote regions of the Peruvian Amazon, has reached a historic milestone in the defense of its territorial rights: the official titling of its communal land. After years of persistent struggles, the community now holds the property title granted by the Regional Directorate of Agriculture of Ucayali (DRAU).  The final step — official registration with the National Superintendency of Public Registries (SUNARP) — is underway, pending the resizing of the Permanent Production Forest (BPP), a forestry zoning category in Peru, by the National Forest and Wildlife Service (SERFOR).

Throughout 2024, DRAU advanced the titling process through a series of key administrative acts. In July, it approved the technical plan defining the land's capacity for use. In September, it affirmed the validity of these steps and approved the land use plan. Then in December, it gave the green light to the territorial demarcation and issued the property title and initiated its registration with SUNARP.

In January 2025, DRAU officially issued the title in favor of Alto Esperanza. The registration file was submitted to SUNARP in February, marking a turning point in the community’s long-standing fight for legal recognition of their ancestral territory.

A Collective Effort for Territorial Justice

This achievement is the result of a powerful collective effort. The Amahuaca community of Alto Esperanza was supported by Indigenous organizations such as the Alto Río Inuya-Mapuya Indigenous Federation (FIARIM), the Regional Organization of AIDESEP Ucayali (ORAU), and the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Jungle (AIDESEP).  State entities, including DRAU and the Ministry of Culture (MINCUL), also p[layed an active role, alongside the ongoing technical and legal assistance provided by  the Upper Amazon Conservancy (UAC).

Pending Challenges and an Urgent Call to Action 

While the issuance of the title is a critical achievement, the process is not yet complete. To ensure full legal security for Alto Esperanza, two major obstacles must still be addressed:

●      The removal of timber concessions that currently overlap with the communal land.

●      The resizing of the Permanent Production Forest (BPP).

These responsibilities lie with the Regional Forestry and Wildlife Management Office (GERFFS) and SERFOR, respectively. Alto Esperanza and its allies urge these agencies to act swiftly and in an intercultural manner that respects the vulnerability and rights of Indigenous Peoples in Initial Contact (PICI), ensuring that justice is delivered without delay.

Beyond Titling

This landmark achievement sets a historic precedent: Alto Esperanza becomes the first Amahuaca community in Peru in initial contact to obtain formal land ownership. This not only empowers them to protect their territory from external threats but also links them to a vast 22-million-acre conservation corridor in the Peruvian Amazon — a region vital to global biodiversity and the fight against climate change.