In recent weeks, national and local politicians who oppose recognition of uncontacted Indigenous peoples’ rights have mounted a series of attacks:

• A proposed reserve known as Yavari-Mirim for uncontacted peoples in NE Peru which proceeded through various stages of approval for the last 20 years was blocked at the final stage. Key ministries — which should have been present — boycotted the final vote.
• A proposed law has been introduced to Congress that would allow for the “review” of all existing reserves for uncontacted peoples every 6 months. A new “review commission” could reduce or cancel any of Peru’s 8 such reserves. This would be a fatal blow to Peru’s whole system of protection for uncontacted peoples’ territories — which has existed for decades.
• Another proposed bill would open up all protected areas to oil and gas drilling. There are about 18 such areas in Peru where uncontacted Indigenous people live.
• One of Peru’s leading anti-Indigenous politicians, Congressman Juan Carlos Celis Mori, has denied the existence of uncontacted peoples in the northern Loreto province, even though their presence there has been comprehensively documented over decades.