Ashéninka leader killed while patrolling Indigenous territory in Peru
Ashéninka leader Américo Pascuala Tumisha was shot and killed on Sunday while patrolling the territory of the Onconashari Indigenous community in Peru’s Ucayali region. According to the Regional Organization AIDESEP Ucayali (ORAU), Pascuala encountered people who were allegedly extracting copaiba oil without permission inside the community’s territory. A confrontation followed, and he was fatally…
Ashéninka leader Américo Pascuala Tumisha was fatally shot while patrolling the Onconashari Indigenous community's territory in Peru's Ucayali region. The incident occurred when Pascuala encountered individuals allegedly extracting copaiba oil without permission. This unauthorized extraction has been reported in the area since at least 2020, leading to tensions within the community.
A 2023 report by Dar, Ambiente y Recursos Naturales highlighted that a group from the nearby Nueva Luz de Arara community had been entering Onconashari and the neighboring Murunahua Indigenous Reserve without authorization to extract copaiba oil. The issue escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic, with increased cash flow attracting extractors to the Yurúa area.
Government records show that patrol and surveillance efforts around Onconashari began in 2014. The Ucayali regional government formally recognized the community's Forest Surveillance and Territorial Defense Committee in August 2025.
Brief written by urgent.news from Mongabay's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
