Members of the Mashco Piro, an uncontacted Indigenous group in Peru's Amazon, have been seen entering the neighboring Yine village of Nueva Oceania amid nearby development. A logging company is constructing a bridge and heavy machinery is cutting paths and crossing rivers toward Mashco Piro territory, increasing outsider access. The group lacks immunity to common diseases, so contact could be deadly and spark violent conflict. Survival International released photos of Mashco Piro near logging zones last year. Two loggers were killed after entering Mashco Piro lands. Land protection remains unchanged despite repeated warnings.
The sightings of members of Mashco Piro tribe come as a logging company is building a bridge that could give outsiders easier access to the tribe's territory, a move that could raise the risk of disease and conflict, according to Survival International, which advocates for Indigenous rights. The Mashco Piro are among the world's largest uncontacted groups, living without regular interaction with outside society to protect their culture and health.
Even a simple cold can be deadly to the group because it lacks immunity to common diseases. Loggers who encroached on the tribe's lands have previously been killed. Enrique Anez, president of the nearby Yine community, another Indigenous group, said in a statement that Mashco Piro members had been seen around the Yine village of Nueva Oceania. It is very worrying. They are in danger, Anez said.
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