Igor Domsac | February 13, 2025
On February 11, 2025, ICEERS organized a webinar entitled “Testimonies of legal cases around ayahuasca.” The event brought together people who have faced legal proceedings for ayahuasca use and members of ICEERS’ legal and scientific team, who provided them with support through the Ayahuasca Defense Fund (ADF).
The event offered a space for deep and moving dialogue where we shared human experiences, learnings and challenges around the legality of traditional indigenous medicines. Moderated by Constanza Sanchez, Director of Law, Public Policy and Human Rights at ICEERS, the conversation put at the center of the debate the human impact of the judicial processes that many people face because of their relationship with ayahuasca.
Ayahuasca before justice
Since its creation in 2016, ADF has supported more than 390 people in 47 countries, providing legal assistance and human accompaniment in cases related to ayahuasca and other traditional medicines. As highlighted by Jesús Alonso, ADF’s lawyer, the team’s work goes beyond legal defense: it is a global effort to educate justice systems about the distinction between ayahuasca and synthetic DMT, dismantling the prohibitionist approach that ignores scientific evidence and ancestral traditions.
One of the most powerful aspects of the webinar were the testimonies of Elizabeth Pérez Bravo and Mauricio Ramos, who shared their experiences after being imprisoned in Mexico for traveling with ayahuasca. Their stories reflect the harshness of the penal system and the resilience of those who face these processes.
Elizabeth: from prison to gratitude
Elizabeth, a health professional, spent almost two years in prison after being arrested in Mexico with ayahuasca. Her story was charged with emotion and learning. “Prison has been a school of much growth and learning about freedom,” she said, highlighting the accompaniment she received from ADF, ICEERS’ legal advocacy program.
One of the most touching moments she shared was the instant of her release. “When I got out, the first thing I did was kneel down and kiss the ground,” she recalled. For her, prison was not only a place of deprivation, but also a place where she learned to find inner peace and to value freedom from another perspective.
Mauricio: ayahuasca as a path to healing
Mauricio was arrested after returning from a retreat in Peru with his teacher, carrying ayahuasca for his personal use. His testimony reflected the desperation and emotional impact of jail. “It is desperate to be in a place like this. I had never experienced anything so traumatic,” he said. However, through the faith and community he found in prison, he was able to sustain himself during the year and eight months he remained incarcerated.
At the webinar, Mauricio recounted how ayahuasca transformed his life and that of his family, especially his mother, who, after a ceremony, experienced a significant improvement in her health. “If this was with one intake, what could I do in my own life?,” he reflected.
Despite his release, his legal process remains open, and the ADF team continues to accompany him in his fight for justice.
A collective effort for justice
One of the key points of the event was the analysis by José Carlos Bouso, ICEERS’ Scientific Director, on the need to educate justice systems and dismantle the prejudices surrounding ayahuasca. Bouso provided reflections on the importance of scientific evidence in legal defense and the need for public policies to be based on science. “The problem is that we run into authorities with deaf ears and closed hearts,” commented Jesús Alonso, highlighting that many prosecutors and judges continue to equate ayahuasca with controlled drugs without support in scientific evidence.
Over the years, the ADF team has achieved important legal victories, but the challenge remains immense. As ADF attorney Natalia Rebollo pointed out, these prosecutions affect not only those who are arrested, but also their families and communities. “Each case has taught us something and allowed us to build better defense strategies,” she said.
The webinar was also an opportunity to thank the community that has sustained ADF over the years. Constanza Sánchez recalled that this service is possible thanks to donations and the support of those who believe in the freedom of traditional medicines. In this sense, she called for contributions to the fundraising campaign that is currently underway to strengthen ADF’s capacity to continue defending these cases.
Pathways to freedom and hope
The seminar left a clear message: the struggle for the legality of ayahuasca is, above all, a struggle for justice and freedom. The stories of Elizabeth and Mauricio are not isolated cases: they represent hundreds of people who have faced injustice for practicing their traditions or seeking healing.
In Elizabeth’s words, “Human beings come to life to do three things: to love, to serve and to be happy. And if you have those three things, you’ve made it.” From ICEERS and the ADF, we will continue to work so that no person has to go through these processes alone again. The defense of ayahuasca implies the protection of dignity, freedom and the right of the people to their ancestral medicines.
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