Reclusive Mashco Piro tribe reemerges near logging sites in Peru

Striking new images show Peru's Mashco Piro tribe emerging from the rainforest, close to logging sites.

Rachel Pannett reports for The Washington Post.

In short:

• The Mashco Piro, an isolated Indigenous tribe, have been seen near logging activities in the Peruvian Amazon.
• Advocacy groups warn of potential disease transmission and violent clashes between the tribe and loggers.
• The Peruvian government has been criticized for failing to protect the tribe's territory and legalizing deforestation on Indigenous lands.

Key quote:

“This is irrefutable evidence that many Mashco Piro live in this area, which the government has not only failed to protect, but actually sold off to logging companies.”

— Alfredo Vargas Pio, president of the local Indigenous organization Fenamad

Why this matters:

The emergence of the Mashco Piro near logging sites poses significant risks of disease and conflict, threatening their survival. The government's inadequate protection and legalization of deforestation endanger not only the Mashco Piro but also the broader Amazon ecosystem.

Related EHN coverage:

• Colonialism, the climate crisis, and the need to center Indigenous voices
• Peru's court extends legal rights to the Marañón River
• The planet’s largest ecosystems could collapse faster than we thought