Territorialidad Siekopai: Tensiones Y Conflictos de Frontera

The Siekopai, an Amazonian culture recognized as a nationality by the Ecuadorian State, have a documented connection to the land dating back more than 300 years. Their ancestral territory, located between the Napo and Putumayo rivers in the north of what is now Ecuador and Peru, encompassed approximately 3,895,259.9 hectares in 1700. Currently, their titled territory in Ecuador and Peru comprises 141,817.2 hectares. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the tensions surrounding the Siekopai ancestral territory. First, it analyzes the 1941 border division between Ecuador and Peru, which bisected the Siekopai territory, separating entire families for decades. Second, it demonstrates that the Siekopai territory lies amidst several national parks in both Ecuador and Peru, forcing the Siekopai's relationship with the land to conform to conservationist legal frameworks. Third, it is shown that extractive exploration in Sucumbíos (Ecuador) since the 1970s has fostered a productivist dynamic in relation to the territory, both in terms of hydrocarbons and agribusiness. Finally, it is found that the proximity to the Colombian border, in the context of the current peace process, is causing an influx of dissidents and the relocation of activity. These interstate territorial tensions profoundly affect the Siekopai way of life and territory, creating an uncertain future for this nationality.