New photos and rare video have emerged showing the Mashco Piro, the largest uncontacted tribe in the world, in the Peruvian Amazon. The tribe is facing threats from logging operations in their territory, with the nearest logging operation just a few miles from where the tribe was filmed. There are concerns about potential interactions between loggers and the Indigenous people, including the introduction of diseases and violence.
The Mashco Piro number more than 750 and live in the rain forests of southeast Peru. Several dozen members of the tribe appeared near a river in Monte Salvado, while another group of 17 was sighted near the village of Puerto Nuevo. The tribe has expressed anger at the presence of loggers on their land, and there have been reports of clashes between the two groups.
In 2022, two workers for a logging company were struck by arrows from the Mashco Piro, with one worker fatally injured. The U.N. special rapporteur on Indigenous rights has called for the logging company to stop operations in the territory inhabited by the tribe. Survival International is urging the Forest Stewardship Council to withdraw its certification of the company’s operations and protect the Mashco Piro’s territory.
The situation highlights the ongoing threats faced by uncontacted Indigenous tribes in the Amazon region and the importance of protecting their territorial rights.
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