Bogota, Colombia
Associated Press Press Agency
—

Two loggers were killed by arrows after they allegedly trespassed on land inhabited by the isolated Mashco Piro indigenous tribe deep in the Peruvian Amazon, according to human rights groups.

A group known as FENAMAD defends the rights of Peru’s indigenous people. It says tensions between loggers and indigenous tribes are rising and that greater government protections are needed.

Two other loggers involved in the attack are missing and one injured, FENAMAD said. Rescue efforts are ongoing.

The rights group, which represents 39 indigenous communities in the Cuzco and Madre de Dios regions of southeastern Peru, said the incident occurred on Aug. 29 in the Pariamanu River basin when loggers were widening passages into the forest and came across the reclusive and territorially demanding tribe.

“The Peruvian state failed to take preventive and protective measures to ensure the lives and integrity of the workers who were seriously injured,” the group said in a statement on Tuesday, adding that authorities had not yet arrived in the area since the incident.

FENAMAD said the attack occurred just 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) from an incident in July when Mashco Piro again attacked loggers. The group said in its statement that although they had informed the government of the risk of increased violence, nothing had been done.

“It’s a heated and tense situation,” said Cesar Ipenza, an Amazonian lawyer who specializes in environmental law in Peru. “There’s no doubt that every day there are more tensions between indigenous people in isolation and the different activities in the territory their ancestors traverse.”

There have been several other previous reports of conflicts. In one incident in 2022, two loggers were shot with arrows while fishing, one fatally, in an encounter with tribal members.

In January, Peru eased restrictions on deforestation in what critics called an “anti-forest law.” Since then, researchers have warned of an increase in deforestation for agriculture and how it facilitates illegal logging and mining.

Ipenaza said authorities in the area had made some efforts, such as sending a helicopter, but overall there had been “little” involvement from the Peruvian Culture Ministry, which is responsible for protecting indigenous people.

The Culture Ministry did not immediately respond to a message sent Wednesday seeking comment on the attack and protective measures.

The attack came a day before the Forest Stewardship Council suspended the logging company’s sustainability certification for eight months, with human rights groups and activists accused of violating indigenous land rights.

“It is absurd that certifiers like FSC maintain certification for companies that clearly and openly violate basic human rights and the rights of indigenous people,” said Julia Urrunaga, director of the Peru program at the Environmental Investigation Agency. “How terrible it is that people have to continue to die and that taking action must be an international scandal.”