A leader under threat
Quinto Inuma Alvarado was the apu of the Kichwa community of Santa Rosillo de Yanayacu in Peru's San Martín region. For years he denounced illegal logging, drug trafficking and encroachment affecting community territory. Those reports made him a prominent environmental and Indigenous-rights defender.
Peru's Justice Ministry had classified Inuma as being at high risk and protection measures had been ordered. Reporting on the later trial described repeated complaints and continuing threats before his death. Those protection failures are an important institutional part of the story, but they are separate from the criminal liability established against the men convicted of organizing and carrying out the murder.
The murder
On November 29, 2023, Inuma was returning to his community after attending a meeting of environmental and land defenders. He was killed while traveling by boat. Axeldina Barbarán Tapullima, who was traveling with him, was wounded and survived.
Prosecutors built the case as a contract killing, or sicariato. Their theory was that Inuma was targeted because of his defense of community territory and complaints against illegal logging activity. The court later accepted criminal responsibility against four defendants.
The defendants and the 2026 trial
The trial began in January 2026 and ran for months. Judges heard testimony from relatives, witnesses and the survivor, as well as documentary and expert evidence presented by prosecutors and the defense.
On August 24, 2026, the Third National Collegiate Criminal Court convicted four men. Genix Saboya Saboya and Limber Ríos Ruiz were sentenced to 35 years each as coauthors. Segundo Juan Villalobos Guevara received 28 years and four months. Jerly Saboya Saboya received 15 years as a primary accomplice.
The court also ordered civil compensation: 750,000 soles for Inuma's legal heirs and 250,000 soles for Barbarán. Associated Press reporting noted that those payments would take effect if the judgment becomes final.
What the judgment does — and does not — mean
The August 2026 ruling is a major criminal judgment and establishes guilt at the trial level. It should not, however, be described as beyond all possible review. The defendants may appeal after receiving the full written judgment. For that reason, this archive labels the case solved / adjudicated at trial rather than claiming that every appellate avenue is exhausted.
The conviction also does not erase the broader security problem faced by Inuma's family and community. His relatives have continued to report concern about their safety. Those ongoing risks are documented separately from the guilt findings against the four convicted men.
Timeline
2016-2023: Inuma and community members repeatedly report environmental and territorial crimes and threats.
2021: Peru's Justice Ministry classifies Inuma as high risk and protection measures are ordered.
November 29, 2023: Quinto Inuma is murdered while returning to his community; Axeldina Barbarán is wounded.
June 2025: prosecutors announce charges seeking severe sentences in the murder-for-hire case.
January 20, 2026: the criminal trial begins.
August 24, 2026: four defendants are convicted and sentenced to terms ranging from 15 to 35 years.
Current status
Four defendants have been convicted for the murder of Quinto Inuma and the related attack on the survivor. The case is classified as solved / adjudicated for archive purposes, with the explicit qualification that the August 2026 trial judgment may still be appealed.