By Ronnayana Silva, Lívia Cruz, Camila Duarte Ritter
In recent years, there has been a growing perception of violence in Amazonian communities, a phenomenon associated with the advance of drug trafficking in riverside areas. Another cause for concern is the attempt by illegal mining to enter the region. Since 2022, three mining barges have attempted to establish themselves in the Middle Juruá region, all of which were prevented by the strength of community organization. In both contexts, drug trafficking and illegal mining, women are among the most vulnerable groups, facing greater exposure to moral, physical, and sexual violence, work overload, and emotional suffering resulting from the absence of children and partners who may become involved in these illicit activities.
The Association of Agro-extractive Women of the Middle Juruá (ASMAMJ) invited women from the Middle Juruá region to discuss the impacts of illegal mining and drug trafficking on the territory and to act preventively against the potential harm of these threats.
The event “Between Care and Struggle: Women of the Middle Juruá as Resistance in Spaces of Action” took place on October 26th and 27th, 2025 at the Campina base, Uacari Sustainable Development Reserve, bringing together women from Carauari and Itamarati, representatives from the Taquara Indigenous Territory, the Middle Juruá Extractive Reserve, the Uacari Sustainable Development Reserve, and the Itamarati Fishing Agreement area. It was organized by ASMAMJ, Sitawi, through the Middle Juruá Territory Program, and the Juruá Institute, in partnership with the TMJ Forum, OPAN, ICMBio, and Sema., LAIV, Mott Foundation and local communities.
During the meeting, the participants discussed what drug trafficking is, the logistics of drug distribution, and why communities have noticed an increase in drug circulation. They also discussed the environmental and social damage caused by illegal mining, highlighting mercury contamination and its effect on health, and the gender-based violence associated—both direct and indirect—with these activities.
In addition to the social impacts, the threat to local biodiversity was highlighted. Monitoring of the sandbar beaches, a fundamental activity for the recovery of turtle populations and the protection of the fauna along the banks of the Juruá River, has been hampered by drug trafficking, which uses the animals as currency for drugs. The environmental degradation caused by these practices directly affects community management systems and compromises the ecological balance of the region, as well as threatening the socio-biodiversity chains that are the main source of financial resources for local communities.
Solution paths
On the one hand, the weakening of community leadership and economic vulnerability increase the risk of co-optation into illicit activities; on the other hand, participants recognized the strength of local production chains as tools for territorial protection, community strengthening, and income generation. The involvement of residents in sustainable management and production activities has proven to be one of the main ways to prevent the entry and permanence of drug trafficking and illegal mining in communities. These activities not only constitute an alternative source of income but also strengthen community mobilization and support networks between communities and organizations. Access to income and, consequently, a reduction in the vulnerability of communities are the most efficient means of resisting the false promises of drug trafficking and illegal mining.
The women also emphasized the importance of preventative education in rural areas, social and psychological support initiatives, and the creation of permanent spaces for dialogue to strengthen collective awareness. In this sense, illegal mining and drug trafficking should be treated as public health and safety issues, requiring strategic responses at the municipal, state, and federal levels. The urgent need for investment in enforcement along the Juruá River and the development of public policies aimed at women, youth, and children living along the riverbanks was reinforced, prioritizing prevention and the strengthening of sustainable alternatives.
Manifest
As a result of the meeting, the communities, through their representatives, drafted a public manifesto expressing deep concern about the increase in violence and the feeling of threat caused by illegal mining attempts and the advance of drug trafficking.
In the document, residents of the area requested joint and integrated actions between municipal, state, and federal authorities related to security and public health. The manifesto argues that illegal mining and drug trafficking should be recognized as structural problems that require coordinated policies for prevention, monitoring, and accountability.
The text was disseminated among local communities and shared with executive and public security authorities of the municipality of Carauari during the meeting of the council of the Uacari Sustainable Development Reserve and the Médio Juruá Extractive Reserve. Read the full manifesto in its entirety.
