Simeon Tegel

Simeon Tegel, a field reporter for NPR, delves into the alarming rise of coca cultivation in the Peruvian Amazon and its devastating effects on indigenous tribes like the Kakataibo. He reveals how drug traffickers are encroaching on their lands, leading to violence and deforestation. The podcast highlights the brave self-defense forces patrolling the jungle and the alarming statistics of coca expansion. Tegel also touches on the community's efforts to sabotage narco airstrips, as well as the challenges posed by COVID-19 and ongoing U.S. cocaine demand.