Murder in the Peruvian Rainforest

Edwin Chota, bottom right, and Jorge Rios, bottom right, with ProPurus staff displaying a banner to mark their territory.

September 9, 2014: Last week, Edwin Chota, leader of the Asheninka community of Saweto, was murdered along with Jorge Ríos Pérez, Leoncio Quinticima Melendez, and Francisco Pinedo as they traveled on a forest trail to attend a meeting in the Brazilian community ofApiwtxa. The men had spent over a decade fighting to title Saweto, and they were killed just days after a visit from Peruvian forestry officials to document continued illegal logging on their lands.

We are working with the widows and family members of the four slain leaders to ensure that the government conducts a full investigation and the perpetrators are brought to justice. We look forward to working together with all of Saweto’s friends and supporters to carry on Edwin’s legacy of protecting the forest and securing legal recognition of Saweto’s homelands.