AUTONOMY AND PROTECTION: THE ROLE OF INDIGENOUS PUBLIC SECURITY AGENTS IN CONFLICT MITIGATION AND THE DEFENSE OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS IN THE STATE OF AMAZONAS

Abstract

Public security within the indigenous territories of Amazonas faces a critical crisis driven by state operational gaps and the rise of transnational crime. This study examines how the chronic personnel shortage within the Amazonas Military Police (PMAM) undermines fundamental rights and necessitates the emergence of indigenous security agents as primary territorial defenders. The methodology is qualitative and exploratory, employing a systematic literature review and documentary analysis of the State Transparency Portal (2021–2025) and State Law No. 3,793/12. The findings reveal a persistent structural deficit: the police force has consistently remained 40% below its statutory mandate, reaching a 42.73% vacancy rate in 2025—a shortfall of 6,409 officers. This institutional vacuum compels indigenous communities to formalize their own self-surveillance and monitoring systems to mitigate environmental and security threats. The study concludes that effective territorial protection requires addressing the PMAM’s operational deficit and implementing intercultural security models that integrate indigenous monitoring expertise within the framework of the National Policy for Territorial and Environmental Management of Indigenous Lands (PNGATI).