Papunahua River 2 Airstrip

While an official single reason is not published, the closure is almost certainly due to a combination of factors related to its location. The Vaupés Department has historically been a hub for illicit activities. The primary reason for the closure of such remote airstrips in this region was their use as 'narcopistas' (narco-airstrips) by drug traffickers and illegal armed groups like the FARC for transporting coca paste, supplies, and personnel. The Colombian military conducted extensive operations to identify and disable these clandestine runways. It is highly probable that Papunahua River 2 was either forcibly disabled by authorities or abandoned by its users due to increased military pressure. Secondary reasons would include a lack of economic viability for legitimate operations and the extreme cost of maintenance in a remote jungle environment.

As of the latest satellite imagery, the Papunahua River 2 Airstrip is completely abandoned and is being reclaimed by the jungle. The faint, straight-line clearing of the former runway is still visible from the air, but it is heavily overgrown with dense vegetation and trees. The surface is unmaintained and entirely unusable for any type of aircraft. There are no visible structures, equipment, or signs of human activity at the site. It exists today only as a scar on the landscape, a relic of its past use.

Papunahua River 2 Airstrip was a rudimentary, unpaved runway carved out of the Amazon rainforest. Its significance lies in its role as a logistical node in an area with virtually no road infrastructure. When active, it would have served multiple purposes. For local indigenous communities, it may have provided a vital link for medical evacuations, missionaries, and government services. However, its primary historical significance is tied to the illicit economy of the region. Airstrips of this type were critical infrastructure for the cocaine trade, allowing small planes to land and take off with raw materials and processed drugs, connecting the remote jungle production zones with larger trafficking networks. The name 'Papunahua River 2' suggests it may have been part of a small network of similar strips along the Papunahua River.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Papunahua River 2 Airstrip. Given its remote location, advanced state of decay, lack of surrounding population centers or economic drivers, and historical association with illegal activities, there is no practical or official incentive to invest the significant resources required to clear, restore, and maintain it. Any future development of air infrastructure in the region would likely focus on improving larger, more secure, and officially sanctioned airports.