On August 19, 2025, a long-simmering territorial dispute between Peru and Colombia gained new visibility as Peruvian President Dina Boluarte visited Santa Rosa Island, located at the confluence of the Amazon and Putumayo rivers. The trip was framed as an affirmation of sovereignty after Bogotá renewed claims to the island, but it also underscored the neglect experienced by the small community of residents who live under precarious conditions.
Locals on Santa Rosa have long depended on services from
neighboring Colombia and Brazil, given the absence of Peruvian infrastructure. Residents highlighted gaps in healthcare, education, and basic utilities, calling on Lima to match its symbolic gestures with concrete investment. The visit was received as a rare acknowledgment of their situation but hopes remain fragile that political attention will translate into sustained development and services.
From a social license to operate perspective, the episode illustrates how questions of legitimacy and trust are not limited to extractive industries but extend to the role of the state itself in frontier territories. Just as mining companies must earn local approval to operate, governments must demonstrate commitment through tangible benefits for isolated populations. Without addressing these governance gaps, sovereignty claims risk being viewed as symbolic rather than substantive—weakening the foundation of social legitimacy upon which broader resource governance ultimately depends.