Reclusive Mashco Piro tribe in Peru attacks loggers with bows and arrows

In a stark reminder of the ongoing tension between uncontacted tribes and external threats, Peru's Mashco Piro tribe recently launched an attack using bows and arrows against loggers they believe were encroaching on their territory in the Amazon.

The regional Indigenous organization FENAMAD reported that the incident occurred on July 27, leaving one logger injured. The tribe's aggressive response is seen as a direct reaction to the increasing intrusion of illegal logging activities into their ancestral lands.

The attack follows recent concerns raised by experts and advocacy groups about the precarious situation of the Mashco Piro tribe.

Photos surfaced earlier, showing members of the tribe searching for food on a beach in the Peruvian Amazon—an area alarmingly close to logging concessions.

Survival International, an organization that advocates for Indigenous rights, noted that around 53 male tribe members were seen in the images, suggesting that a larger group, including women and children, was likely nearby.

FENAMAD expressed grave concerns over the situation, noting that the logging activities in the region are likely pushing the Mashco Piro out of their traditional lands, forcing them to venture closer to human settlements in search of food and safety. A representative from FENAMAD, who spoke anonymously due to security concerns, indicated that the logging in the area might be illegal, as the forestry concession where the incident took place was last held by Wood Tropical Forest until November 2022. The lack of recent concessions in the area raises questions about the legitimacy of the current logging operations.

The organization also warned of the potential "devastating consequences" that could arise from continued encroachment, including the spread of diseases to the uncontacted tribe and an escalation in violence. This isn't the first time the Mashco Piro have had violent encounters with outsiders—two loggers were shot with arrows while fishing in the area in 2022, and there have been other reports of conflict in the past.

Survival International has been vocal about the urgent need for the Peruvian government to intervene.

The organization is urging authorities to take immediate action to protect the Mashco Piro and their territory from further encroachment. "This is a permanent emergency," said Teresa Mayo, a researcher at Survival International. She emphasized that the situation is life-threatening and that only the government has the power and responsibility to resolve it. "We have been seeing the Mashco Piro every two weeks at different points, and in all of them, they are surrounded by loggers," Mayo added, underscoring the dire circumstances faced by the tribe.