Residents of a remote island disputed by Colombia hope their Peruvian government won’t forget them

SANTA ROSA, Peru (AP) — A remote island on the Amazon river — now the subject of a territorial dispute between Peru and Colombia — has a single paved road for a main street, which is home to more nightclubs and evangelical churches than any other businesses.

Named after a 16th-century saint, Santa Rosa has no running water or sewage system for its 3,000 residents, who build their one-story homes on stilts to prevent them from flooding every year. People are Peruvian, but they cross the river to neighboring cities in Colombia or Brazil to see a doctor for routine care or an emergency that the rusting local health center cannot handle.

“Our island suffers from many needs,” said Marcos Mera, the owner of a restaurant and dance hall in Santa Rosa, as he wiped sweat from his forehead and set