Colombia Faces Landlock Crisis as Amazon River Shifts Border, Igniting Tension with Peru Over Disputed Island

In Leticia, Colombia – a town nestled at the junction of three nations – the lifeblood of the community, the mighty Amazon River, is in flux, sparking tensions with neighboring Peru and fueling a border dispute. The river’s meandering course, exacerbated by sedimentation and drought, is gradually pushing it southward, potentially leaving Leticia landlocked within five years according to a Colombian Navy study.

With a population of approximately 55,000 people, this southernmost tip of Colombia is isolated, its only connection being an airport. Most supplies are transported via the Amazon River, ferried from Peru and Brazil. Santiago Duque, a biology professor at Leticia’s branch of Colombia’s National University, underscores the river’s vital importance to the town’s survival, stating, “We depend on daily trade between the three countries to thrive.”

The area surrounding Leticia is popularly known as the “triple frontier,” with Peru and Brazil sharing borders along the winding Amazon. The fluidity of these borders allows for a unique blend of cultures, languages, and commerce, creating a bustling hub where locals converse in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

However, this harmonious coexistence is being challenged as Colombia grapples with its precarious river access. As the water recedes during the dry season, Leticia’s cargo wharf lies stranded on dry land, rendering machinery such as forklifts useless. This slows trade and increases costs, causing concern among local businesses like Sigifredo Beltrán, a hotel owner in Leticia. He laments, “It feels like we’re going back to the 18th century.”

Historically, Colombian officials have been largely indifferent to this issue, but recent events have brought it to the forefront. In July, tensions escalated over a small island called Santa Rosa located in the Amazon River just across from Leticia. This uninhabited islet has never been formally allocated, with both Colombia and Peru claiming ownership.

Peru’s decision to upgrade Santa Rosa’s status to a town triggered a diplomatic response from Colombian President Gustavo Petro, who visited Leticia to assert, “Colombia does not recognize Peruvian sovereignty over Santa Rosa.” Furthermore, presidential candidate Daniel Quintero made headlines by sneaking onto the island and raising a Colombian flag, only for it to be removed 15 minutes later by Peruvian authorities.

Such nationalistic sentiments are not uncommon in political discourse, as territorial disputes continue to evoke strong emotions among Colombians, particularly when they recall the loss of Panama, which was once a Colombian province before being ceded in 1903 due to U.S. intervention.

Colombia and Peru have had their fair share of border disputes in the past, with Leticia’s history providing a testament to this. Established by Peruvian forces in the 1800s, the town was later seized by Colombia to secure access to the Amazon River. In 1932, a brief border war ensued between the two nations over control of Leticia.

The current dispute over Santa Rosa presents a complex legal conundrum, with experts suggesting that both Colombia and Peru have legitimate claims to the island. According to Walter Arévalo, an international law professor at Rosario University in Bogotá, the 1922 border treaty states that the deepest channel of the Amazon River is the frontier. However, the river’s ever-shifting course has divided it, with a smaller branch now flowing past Leticia and a deeper channel running south of Santa Rosa, thereby potentially backing up Colombia’s claim to the island.

To address this issue, Colombia and Peru have resumed meetings of their bilateral border commission, which had been inactive for some time. The commission is scheduled to meet in Lima, Peru on September 11 and 12 to discuss the dispute.

Colombia could potentially prevent Leticia’s potential landlocking by dredging the smaller branch of the Amazon River that now flows past the town. However, the high cost of such an undertaking and the region’s low population density have contributed to its neglected status among Colombian policymakers.

In Santa Rosa, residents are predominantly Peruvian but maintain amicable relations with their neighbors in Leticia. Hotel manager Iván Yovera notes that islanders often shop, send their children to school, and seek medical care in Leticia. Flor Gómez, a fisherwoman from Santa Rosa, reflects on the bond between the two communities, stating, “We have never had problems with Colombia. We are like brothers.”

The fluidity of the Amazon River and its complex political implications continue to pose challenges for both Colombia and Peru. As Max Ortiz, the acting mayor of Santa Rosa, succinctly puts it, “That’s Mother Nature.”