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.

Despite the tensions, residents from both sides of the border continue to live together peacefully.

At least that's what patrons of a local club hear from the animator and owner, Marcos Mera, who improvised some lines about the fraternity of the countries sharing part of the Amazon basin.

As he sang to convince the people at his club that residents of Santa Rosa wants to keep things peaceful, he was also quick to say that he is willing to defend the island for Peru, given the opportunity.

Banners of red and white, the Peruvian national colors, decorate the entrance and some offices, a distinctive mark of the government that operates in the area.

For the rest, as any other border city, it's difficult to point out the nationality of the people inhabiting the area.

The island, with nearly 3,000 inhabitants and covering 10 square miles (27 square kilometers), made headlines this month after Colombian President Gustavo Petro rejected Peru’s sovereignty.

He said he would take the issue to an international court if the two countries cannot agree on ownership.

Peru has said it is open to dialogue but will not cede “even a millimeter” of what it considers its territory.

President Dina Boluarte traveled to the island Friday with her ministers and sang the national anthem.

Peruvian officials argue the island is part of Chinería, assigned to Peru in 1922 by a binational commission.

Petro maintains it has not been assigned to either country and urged Peru to reach an agreement.

The island suffers from cross-border crime, including drug and human trafficking, amid weak security forces, according to Peruvian police.

With little state presence, many residents cross to Leticia in Colombia or Tabatinga in Brazil for health care and education not available in Peru.

AP Video shot by Marko Alvarez