Recently, new images have surfaced of an isolated community in the Amazon rainforest.
The community is known as the Mashco Piro, with an estimated population of approximately 750 individuals.
They reside in the Peruvian Amazon in a remote section of the rainforest, near the border with Brazil.
Nations with uncontacted communities, such as Brazil and Peru, have established legal protections for these groups.
However, these protections often fall short in fully safeguarding the land and are challenging to enforce in the isolated regions where these communities exist.
Additionally, certain governments, like the previous administration under Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, have considered reducing these protections, arguing that they hinder economic development.
In summary, while protections exist, communities like these remain highly at risk.
Any footage of the community is captured from a significant distance.
This is primarily to prevent approaching them, not just for the safety of the outsiders, though that is a factor.
The main concern is to shield the indigenous community from diseases they have no or low immunity to, such as the flu, which could be fatal even if it’s a mild illness for us.
Advancements in technology have allowed for clearer images, which were shared on the Lex Fridman podcast.
The footage was presented by conservationist Paul Rosolie during the podcast.
During the episode, uploaded to YouTube on January 14, Rosolie and Fridman discussed the significance of this newly-released footage of the community.
Rosolie stated: “The only thing you’ve ever seen are these blurry images … from 100 meters away … and we’re sitting there with, you know, 800mm with a 2x teleconverter.”