Peru Colombia Amazon River Dispute
Peru, Colombia Reaffirm Amazon River Cooperation Amid Island Dispute
Lima – Peru and Colombia have renewed their commitment to maintaining peace and cooperation along their shared Amazon River border, even as tensions simmer over competing territorial claims.
Following a two-day meeting in Lima, the foreign ministries of both nations released a joint statement stressing their pledge to preserve navigability in the Atacuari-Leticia sector of the river, which supports thousands of residents in border communities.
The talks came just weeks after a diplomatic flare-up in August, when the two neighbors clashed over the sovereignty of Santa Rosa Island, a remote patch of land in the Amazon tri-border region where Peru, Colombia, and Brazil meet.
Peruvian officials argue Santa Rosa naturally extended from Chineria Island due to the river’s shifting levels, insisting the area — home to fewer than 3,000 people — has long been Peruvian under century-old treaties. Colombia, however, disputes this, claiming the island formed after those agreements and remains unallocated territory.
The controversy escalated in July when Peru formally established Santa Rosa as a district and dispatched officials to the island, a move Colombia criticized as an attempt at annexation.
During the 14th Meeting of the Permanent Joint Border Inspection Commission (Comperif), delegates focused on strengthening integration, reviewing the river’s shifting dynamics, and ensuring safe navigation for trade and transport.
Despite their territorial differences, both countries underscored the importance of cooperation in the Amazon, signaling efforts to prevent disputes from derailing broader regional ties.
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