Mashco Piro "attack illegal loggers" in Peru
August 6, 2024
Reports have emerged from Peru about an apparent violent clash between the Mashco Piro people whose images Survival released last month, and illegal loggers operating inside their territory.
It appears that at least one logger has been seriously wounded, and possibly two others also, by arrows fired at them by a large group – up to 100 – of Mashco Piro people.
Just over two weeks ago, photos of uncontacted Mashco Piro people went round the world. According to reports that emerged this week, members of that tribe have attacked illegal loggers stealing timber from their territory, not far from where the photos were taken.
The incident happened along the Pariamanu River, inside rainforest acknowledged by the government to be Mashco Piro territory, but which has not yet been formally protected – it’s inside the “Expansion Area” that Indigenous organizations have demanded be added to the Madre de Dios Territorial Reserve.
FENAMAD, the regional Indigenous organization, has denounced the incident and provided evidence to the Peru government.
FENAMAD first received reports of the incident on 27 July, but have only now made it public. The attack was reportedly near an illegal logging camp, and FENAMAD has reported concerns that armed loggers are patrolling the area. According to FENAMAD, the incident is one in a string of encounters between Mashco Piro people and loggers. The organization – which represents Indigenous peoples in the region – is publicizing the attack because the government has done little to protect Mashco Piro territory from logging.
The attack provides further evidence of just how important – and urgent – it is for the whole Mashco Piro territory to be properly protected. It reinforces the need for all the logging licenses in the Mashco Piro territory to be revoked, as it is impossible to protect the lives of either the Mashco Piro or the logging workers.
FENAMAD and Survival call on the authorities to a) investigate the incident properly to ascertain exactly what happened, and b) ensure that no logging, legal or illegal, occurs inside the Mashco Piro territory, and that their full territorial rights are recognised and respected.
