Survival International, a prominent advocacy group for Indigenous peoples, has released photographs showing members of the reclusive Mashco Piro tribe on a beach in the Peruvian Amazon. The group claims these images prove logging concessions are “dangerously close” to the tribe’s territory. The photos raise alarm bells about the potential threats to one of the world’s largest “uncontacted” tribes.
The photographs, taken in June 2024, capture a gathering of Mashco Piro members on the banks of the Las Piedras River in Peru’s Madre de Dios province. Survival International estimates that up to 150 tribal members may have been nearby, including women and children.
According to Teresa Mayo, a researcher at Survival International, this rare sighting of such a large group is highly unusual.
“It is very unusual that you see such a large group together,” she commented in an interview with The Associated Press, hinting at the possibility of external pressures forcing the tribe to move in larger numbers.
The Danger Of Logging Concessions Is Growing
Several logging companies reportedly hold timber concessions inside territory inhabited by the Mashco Piro. This proximity has raised fears of conflicts between logging workers and tribal members. Additionally, there’s the risk of introducing dangerous diseases to the isolated community.
The situation is not without precedent. In 2022, two loggers were reportedly shot with arrows while fishing. The incident resulted in one fatality in an encounter believed to involve tribal members. Given the increasing influence of outside forces on Mashco Piro territory, this episode illustrates the possibility of violent clashes.
Cesar Ipenza, a Peruvian environmental law specialist, described the situation to AP as “very alarming and worrying.” While acknowledging that isolated Indigenous tribes may migrate seasonally to collect food resources like turtle eggs, Ipenza expressed concern that illegal activities in their living areas might be forcing them to leave under pressure.
