Amazon River Shifts Spark Colombia-Peru Border Tensions Ahead of Key Talks

Leticia, Colombia’s only direct access to the Amazon River, faces an impending crisis as the waterway rapidly shifts course, threatening to leave the vital port city landlocked within five years. This dire environmental change is escalating a long-standing border dispute with neighboring Peru, particularly over the strategically located Santa Rosa island, prompting urgent diplomatic intervention.

The Amazon’s changing flow, driven by drought and sedimentation, is gradually pushing the main channel south into Peruvian territory, away from Leticia’s cargo wharf. This has already forced manual cargo unloading and significantly increased trade costs, highlighting the town’s vulnerability given its lack of road connections to the rest of Colombia.

Tensions flared recently following Peru’s upgrade of Santa Rosa’s administrative status, a small island inhabited primarily by Peruvians but claimed by both nations since its formation in 1974. Colombian President Gustavo Petro publicly protested Peru’s move in July, insisting on Colombia’s sovereignty, a stance echoed by a presidential candidate’s flag-raising stunt that was swiftly reversed by Peruvian authorities.

The 1922 border treaty, which defines the frontier by the deepest channel of the Amazon, presents a complex legal challenge as the river’s course has dramatically altered. Experts suggest both countries have legitimate claims, underscoring the need for a modern resolution.

In a critical development, a previously dormant bilateral border commission is set to convene in Lima, Peru, on September 11 and 12. These high-stakes meetings aim to address not only the sovereignty of Santa Rosa but also the broader implications of the Amazon’s shifting geography on the critical “triple frontier” region, where Colombia, Peru, and Brazil converge. The outcome of these talks will be crucial for the future of trade, regional stability, and the fate of Leticia.

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