The
Ministry of Culture confirmed that Asheninka Indigenous leader Americo Pascuala Tomisha is alive and with his family, following field verifications conducted by the Regional Aidesep Ucayali Organization (ORAU) and its Indigenous Border Guard.
The official confirmation rules out information that had hours earlier raised concern among Indigenous organizations and the leader's relatives, who had warned of his alleged death.
According to the statement, since becoming aware of the alert, the Ministry of Culture activated measures to support his family through its protection agent assigned to the Murunahua Indigenous Reserve.
Likewise, it coordinated with the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights and the Ministry of the Interior under the Intersectoral Mechanism for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders.
The Ministry of Culture stated that the objective of these actions was to verify the Indigenous leader's situation and provide assistance to his family, taking into account the cultural and linguistic characteristics of the population involved.
Communication difficulties
The case has also made evident the difficulties in obtaining and verifying information in hard-to-reach Amazonian territories.
The Ministry of Culture noted that the situation highlights the existing challenges related to communication and access across various parts of the Amazon.
In view of this situation, the institution considered it necessary to strengthen prevention, alert, and information-verification mechanisms, as well as improve coordination among the State, communities, and Indigenous organizations.
The Ministry of Culture reiterated that protecting Indigenous human rights defenders is a priority.
Moreover, it stated that an adequate and timely response requires greater institutional and territorial coordination.
(END) NDP/MAO/MVB
Publicado: 27/8/2026