Inga Aponte

The Inga community of Aponte is made up of descendants of the ancient, pre-Hispanic Incas, whose roots stretch deep into the mountains that once served as their sanctuary during the era of conquest. Isolated in these highlands, they found refuge from external forces, remaining largely untouched until the latter half of the nineteenth century. However, in the 1990s, their isolation was tragically broken by the grip of criminal forces. The Inga were forced into a violent and oppressive cycle, caught up in the production of poppy and heroin under the control of guerrilla groups, drug cartels, and paramilitaries. For years, the peaceful mount