Pulitzer Center Project on Illegal Airstrips in the Amazon Rainforest Wins Global Shining Light Award

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Every two years, the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN) presents the Global Shining Light Award, which honors investigative reporting in developing or transitioning countries carried out under threat, duress, or otherwise dire conditions.

This year, the Pulitzer Center–supported project Death Flights, for Mongabay Latam, won the award in the Large Newsroom category for its investigation into illegal airstrips operating in the Amazon rainforest. The award was presented at GIJN’s global conference, held November 20-24 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Working in partnership with Earth Genome, Mongabay Latam identified a network of 67 drug-trafficking airstrips across the Peruvian regions of Ucayali, Huánuco, and Pasco. Using artificial intelligence and satellite imagery—cross-referenced with official records and on-the-ground reporting—the team confirmed each airstrip’s connection to narco activity.

The investigation revealed that many of these airstrips are located in or near Indigenous communities and documented the violence associated with them, including targeted attacks and assassinations of Indigenous leaders. 

Read the full project here.