Indians lobby president on uncontacted tribes

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Members of fifteen Indigenous organisations have written to Paraguay’s president asking him to save the last uncontacted Indians in the country.

‘We are alarmed by the repeated violations of Indigenous peoples’ rights being carried out by the Brazilian company Yaguarete Pora, which is manipulating the law and is taking over the traditional territory of the Ayoreo-Totobiegosode,’ the letter says.

‘We urge your government to take the necessary action to guarantee the lives, wellbeing and land of the uncontacted Indians.’

Yaguarete Pora wants the Totobiegosode’s land to graze cattle for beef. The amount of land destroyed has doubled since May.

The number of uncontacted Totobiegosode is unknown, but they are exceedingly vulnerable to any form of contact with outsiders because of their lack of immunity to disease.