Germana Carillo Two loggers killed with bow and arrow after allegedly invading the land of the uncontacted indigenous Mashco Piro tribe deep in the Peruvian Amazon
At least two loggers have been killed, another injured, and two others missing in the Peruvian Amazon. The encroachment of their lands is pitting them against loggers, with tragedies-one after another-that could have been avoided. This is a stark reminder of the continuous breakdown of both Peru and international laws in practice.
Sightings of the Mashco Piro near to logging concessions
In July, Survival International released photos and videos that captured more than 50 Mashco Piro individuals a few miles from logging concessions in southeastern Peru. The organization warned that the tribe was in serious, imminent risk of genocide from diseases the loggers may spread.
“We have wounded, dead, missing-we neither know what happened nor what is happening,” said Eusebio Ríos, vice-president of FENAMAD, the indigenous organization in the region. “We made a request to the authorities for aid with a helicopter. Nothing new and it continues to be our concern. For a long time now, FENAMAD has demanded protection for this territory, effectively, for uncontacted peoples.”
Attack takes place in concession area
The attack last week near the Pariamanu River in Madre de Dios province was the at least third violent incident by Mashco Piro against loggers this year. In each case the native people were defending part of their ancestral land that the government has sold off as a logging concession. Last month, there was a similar attack in the same area, where at least one logger was injured. Despite demands for an investigation from indigenous groups, no investigation has been launched so far.
While parts of the Mashco Piro territory have legal protections in place, much of the area lacks such protection, with large chunks being given over to logging concessions.
Meanwhile, one of the logging concessions in the Mashco Piro territory had its so-called ‘sustainable wood’ certification suspended by the Forest Stewardship Council, in a direct response to international media coverage of the recent photos of the uncontacted tribe, and 14,000 emails to FSC asking for action.
