In the community of Caimito, in Ucayali, the second-largest Amazonian region in Peru and home to the Shipibo-Konibo Indigenous tribe, the Mennonites' agricultural expansion is one of the leading causes of deforestation.
They have acquired large tracts of land for livestock and agricultural production, activities that result in the indiscriminate logging of vast areas of primary forest. These forests are key to preserving the area's biodiversity and represent a vital resource for the Shipibo community, which depends on them to survive and preserve its ancestral customs and rituals.
A Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project (MAAP) report revealed that since 2017, the Mennonites have deforested more than 900 hectares of indigenous territory. However, the Shipibo community is resisting, appealing to the Peruvian justice system to end the group's economic activities.
This story was produced with support from the Earth Journalism Network. It was first published in Servindi on June 30, 2024.
Banner image: Indigenous defenders watch over their territories in Ucayali, Peru / Credit: Ronald Suárez.
Ronald Suarez
