Gasoline Floods The Colombian Amazon

The illicit cocaine economy has contaminated the banks of La Laguna de La Paya, a source of biodiversity in the La Paya National Natural Park, and with it the communities of the Siona, Murui Muina and Kichwa Indigenous peoples, among other Amazonian peoples. 

Gasoline, required to produce coca paste, is contaminating rivers and destroying vital ecosystems, including the Natural National Park La Paya. Cocaine’s illegal trade has brought environmental devastation, seriously impacting biodiversity and the indigenous communities that rely on these territories for their survival.

Pollution from chemical products used in coca production has destroyed wetlands and lagoons in Putumayo, negatively impacting local fauna and flora. Despite increased bans and the fight against drug trafficking, the environmental and social effects of coca cultivation persist, transforming natural sites into toxic dumps and disrupting the lives of the Amazonian peoples. 

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This story was produced with support from Internews' Earth Journalism Network. It was first published in El Turbión on June 9, 2024. It has been translated to English and lightly edited for length and clarity.

Banner image: Putumayo river / Credit: Andrés Gómez for El Turbión.