IQUITOS, PERU — A Canadian man who killed a British friend in December during a spiritual retreat in Peru claimed self-defense for his actions during a drug-induced attack in the Amazon. After being released by Peruvian authorities, he is now telling his nightmarish story.

Joshua Stevens, 29, was arrested by Peruvian authorities following the fatal stabbing of Unais Gomes, 26, at the Australian-owned Phoenix Ayahuasca retreat near the jungle city of Iquitos on December 16. Stevens was held on suspicion of murder, but was then released and has returned to his home in Winnipeg, Canada.
The two men were participating in a ritual involving the ingestion of ayahuasca, a plant brew hailed for its healing properties and hallucinogenic effects.

According to Stevens, Gomes had taken a double dose of the drink and became unstable. After hearing Gomes screaming, Stevens had approached him. Stevens recalls Gomes saying, "You are Yahweh, you are Yahweh, and it's time to get your demons out, brother. It's time to get your demons out."

Gomes then attacked Stevens, who ran to the kitchen of the retreat to find help. It was there that Gomes grabbed a kitchen knife and Stevens grabbed a pot.

"He swiped at me and he hit the table, and his knife broke, and I went to hit him with the pot, and I hit him in the side of the body and my pot broke," Stevens told CTV News.

Gomes then grabbed a butcher knife and continued attacking. Stevens was able to wrestle away the second knife when two staffers arrived.

"What I said to myself was if he gets this knife back, he's either going to kill me or the other two men here," Stevens said. "And that's when I made the decision to stab him."

Stevens fatally stabbed Gomes twice, once in the chest and once in the stomach.

The two staff members corroborated Stevens' account, which led to his release. However, the investigation is still continuing and the case has yet to be closed. Should authorities pursue further action, Stevens would have to return to Peru.

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