Recently, the isolated Mashco Piro tribe of Peru utilized bows and arrows to confront loggers believed to be intruding on their land in the Amazon rainforest, as reported by a regional Indigenous organization.
FENAMAD, which represents 39 Indigenous communities in the Cusco and Madre de Dios regions, stated on Monday that it suspects illegal logging activities were occurring within Mashco Piro territory, leading to injuries for one logger during the attack on July 27.
UNCONTACTED PERUVIAN TRIBE ATTACKS ECO TOURISTS
Not long ago, images surfaced showing the uncontacted tribe foraging for food on a beach in the Peruvian Amazon, prompting some experts to claim that logging concessions are alarmingly close to their territory.
“This is likely illegal since the incident occurred in an area previously dedicated to forestry concessions held by Wood Tropical Forest until November 2022. We are unaware of any new concessions that have been granted rights in that region,” noted a representative of FENAMAD, who spoke anonymously due to safety concerns.
This June 2024 photo provided by Survival International shows members of the Mashco Piro along Las Piedras River in the Amazon near the community of Monte Salvado, in Madre de Dios province, Peru. (Survival International via AP, File)
The organization warns that the absence of protective measures from the Peruvian government, coupled with heightened activity from companies and illegal loggers in Mashco Piro territory, could lead to “devastating consequences,” including the spread of diseases and increased violence.
In 2022, two loggers were shot with arrows while fishing during an encounter with tribe members, resulting in one death, and there have been several other documented confrontations.
Peru’s Ministry of Culture, tasked with safeguarding Indigenous peoples, has not yet responded to a request for comment regarding the attack and their ongoing protection efforts.
Survival International, an advocacy organization supporting Indigenous rights and monitoring the situation of the Mashco Piro, is urging the Peruvian government to advance further into these areas of the Amazon to manage and mitigate the issue.
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“This is a constant emergency. Over the past month, we have observed the Mashco Piro every two weeks at various locations, each time surrounded by loggers,” stated Teresa Mayo, a researcher at Survival International, in a phone interview.
“It’s truly a matter of survival. Only the government has the capacity and obligation to intervene,” Mayo emphasized.
