People with a sad past and an uncertain future
In recent days, representatives of the Mashco-Piro people have been seen repeatedly.
It is estimated that the tribe has around 750 members.
The Mashco-Piros live as nomadic hunters and gatherers in the primeval forests of the states of Ucayali and Madre de Dios.
They are among the last peoples to live in absolute isolation.
In 1894, many of them were killed by the private army of rubber baron Carlos Fitzcarrald.
The Piros had refused to serve as his serfs in rubber production.
Their tribal territory is currently under threat from illegal deforestation by large companies.
Although the Peruvian government actually guarantees the protection of the Mashco-Piro, it is easy for investors to obtain the necessary licenses through bribes.
In this respect, the long-term survival of the Mashco-Piros is doubtful.
/KDJ (Image: Survival International)
