Fabián Antúnez Camacho

Fabián Antúnez Camacho was born in the native community of Cheni, located in the district of Río Tambo, province of Satipo, in the department of Junín, Peru. He is a victim of the internal armed conflict that took place during the final decades of the twentieth century. One of the most traumatic events in his personal history was the systematic violation of human rights, marked by the killing of his father during confrontations with the Sendero Luminoso and the loss of eight of his siblings.

From an early age, he assumed leadership in his community of Cheni. He was later elected president of the Indigenous organisation Central Ashaninka del Río Tambo (CART), which is composed of more than 50 native communities. He was part of the organisation for ten years.

His leadership has focused on the protection of territory, leading efforts against illegal logging, land grabbing, and the illegal cultivation of coca leaf linked to drug trafficking. He has publicly denounced these activities and promoted community-based actions to guarantee the life, security, and rights of the communities of Río Tambo.

One of his most significant achievements occurred on 31 October 2021, when Fabián Antúnez Camacho and other Asháninka people from Río Tambo seized nearly one tonne of cocaine from boats heading to Atalaya. Drug trafficking along this route constitutes one of the principal threats to the Asháninka people. Following this event, threats against him increased.

Fabián Antúnez Camacho has promoted agriculture, sustainable production, and handicrafts as pillars for generating income and economic sustainability for the communities. His work also aims at preventing further spread of drug trafficking in Asháninka indigenous territories. One of his main initiatives was promoting cocoa production, and he led sustained advocacy engagement with State institutions. As a result, cocoa cultivation was modernised and families involved in the production received training. This effort enabled cocoa to become established as a strategic and sustainable crop, offering viable alternatives to the illegal economy and ensuring income that is generated in accordance with communal life and the forest. As a result, in 2016 Fabián Antúnez Camacho founded the Kemito Sankori Cooperative. Currently, this organisation brings together more than 300 members and constitutes a source of sustainable income through the commercialisation of cocoa as an alternative to the illegal cultivation of coca leaf.

Through his leadership, Fabián Antúnez Camacho has promoted the recovery of autonomy and recognition of the Asháninka community. This includes actions strengthening the capacities of women artisans to be economically independent. Throughout his trajectory as a human rights defenders, Fabián Antúnez Camacho has advocated for the ability of the Asháninka people to exercise their rights with dignity and in a safe environment.