Journalists are trying to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic from driving some of Colombia’s most isolated indigenous communities in the Amazon region into extinction.
Visiting the indigenous communities in La Chorrera in the Amazonas province takes a lot of effort and determination. It is arguably the most remote town in Colombia, surrounded by hundreds of kilometers of impenetrable jungle.
Pandemic driving indigenous to extinction
New York Times photographer Federico Rios almost overdosed on exotic drugs traditionally exchanged when meeting strangers, lost his camera and was introduced to almost every mosquito and parasite the Amazon forest offers when visiting the town in 2013.
Rios found out his trip had been a disaster after returning home after a month, a little less time than it took 70% of the indigenous people in La Chorrera to fall ill with the coronavirus, according to the community.
The pandemic has already taken the lives of six elders of the Muinane, Uitoto, Bora and Ocaina peoples whose wisdom and knowledge of ancestral customs are an essential part of the communities’ culture and social fabric.
La Chorrera community organization Azicatch
The peoples were already listed at risk of extinction. The coronavirus is now threatening to eliminate them from that list permanently.
La Chorrea community organization Azicatch
How to help the indigenous people of La Chorrera
Out of sight, out of mind
Local media like El Tiempo couldn’t care less. Colombia’s largest newspaper reported last week that the Amazonas province “is overcoming its darkest hours,” which it is not, but El Tiempo has a habit of doing lip service for the government.
A month before ravaging the capital Leticia, the virus crept into the jungle, outside the view of Amazonas’ notoriously corrupt government and Colombia’s notoriously unreliable newspaper.
The Colombian Air Force delivered medical aid to Leticia earlier this week, weeks after much of the town had already fallen or died. La Chorrea, which needed urgent help, was ignored.
La Chorrea community organization Azicatch
How to help the indigenous people of La Chorrera
Curbing the extinction threat
The New York Times journalist joined hands with local reporter Laura Campos to help prevent driving the Muinane, Uitoto, Bora and Ocaina closer to extinction.
The two colleagues began a crowd-funding campaign, offering Rios’ images to those who help fund the solar panels La Chorrera’s hospital desperately needs.
If you want to help, you can visit the journalists’ crowd-funding page which is listed below.