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What does it take to expose 67 illegal airstrips in the Amazon? A year of reporting — and the trust of local communities

Mongabay

Monday 2.6.2025

    Founder’s Briefs: An occasional series where Mongabay founder Rhett Ayers Butler shares analysis, perspectives and story summaries.

    At the close of SF Climate Week, María Isabel Torres, program director of Mongabay Latam, shared how local journalism is driving environmental change across Latin America.

    Speaking as a Peruvian journalist based in Lima, María Isabel detailed investigations that have exposed hidden threats to both biodiversity and Indigenous communities.

    One investigation revealed 67 clandestine airstrips built deep in the Peruvian Amazon to support drug trafficking.

    Working with satellite analysis experts including Earth Genome, Mongabay combined AI, drone footage, and interviews with more than 60 local sources to uncover the network. Our reporting, which took a year to complete, sparked national and international media coverage, caught the attention of lawmakers and authorities, and empowered Indigenous leaders with evidence to advocate for protections.

    Illegal air strips identified during the investigation.
    Illegal air strips identified during the investigation.
    Illegal air strips identified during the investigation.
    Illegal air strips identified during the investigation.

    María Isabel also highlighted how Mongabay Latam documented more than 8,000 oil contamination sites across four Amazonian countries, of which 600 are located inside Indigenous territories or protected areas.

    An oil spill occurred in the Huayruri Creek outside of the Shiviyacu base at Block 192 in Peru. Image by Patrick Wesember.
    An oil spill occurred in the Huayruri Creek outside of the Shiviyacu base at Block 192 in Peru. Image by Patrick Wesember.

    In the Gulf of Mexico, Mongabay’s reporting exposed that nearly 60% of oil spills in recent years, previously dismissed by companies as “natural emissions,” were in fact human-caused.

    And in the open seas, Mongabay has tracked the movements of 200 Chinese fishing vessels operating just outside Latin American countries’ maritime borders — raising serious concerns about marine biodiversity loss near places like the Galápagos Islands.

    A composite data image showing all AIS vessel traces, and the intensity of RF activity as the fleet swarmed along the southern edge of the EEZ boundary of the Galapagos Islands. Image by HawkEye 360.
    A composite data image showing all AIS vessel traces, and the intensity of RF activity as the fleet swarmed along the southern edge of the EEZ boundary of the Galapagos Islands. Image by HawkEye 360.

    Across all this work, María Isabel emphasized the importance of amplifying the voices of Indigenous peoples — not just as victims, but as defenders and leaders actively protecting the rainforest.

    In Latin America, Mongabay Latam now partners with more than 70 influential regional media outlets, maximizing the reach and impact of these investigations.

    It’s a powerful reminder: Locally grounded, solutions-driven journalism can shift narratives, drive accountability, and support frontline communities.

    Banner image: Mongabay’s reporting has sparked national and international media coverage, caught the attention of lawmakers and authorities, and empowered Indigenous leaders with evidence to advocate for protections.

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