On the edge of unrest in Peru

The Indigenous people of the Uros Islands are threatened by political unrest. Will their unique way of life survive?

– by Tim Brinkhof –
THURSDAY, 31ST AUGUST 2023



The Uros Islands in the 1960s. Credit: Alamy

Life on the Uros Islands, a settlement built on 120-odd rafts made from bulrush reeds floating atop southern Peru’s Lake Titicaca, has never been easy. Its 1,300 or so inhabitants claim to be related to the first tribes to populate the Andes, which moved onto the water when the Incas, and later the Spanish, came knocking on their doors. Living conditions on the highest lake in the world were harsh then, and still are today.

Unable to grow crops or keep livestock, the Uros people survive by hunting and fishing. Parents must keep an eye on children to make sure they don’t fall in the water and drown. Cold nights promise early-onset rheumatism, while the heat of stoves and lanterns has burned down entire homes. Before the arrival of mass tourism and humanitarian projects, having your own functioning toilet was considered a luxury. Finishing high school, a distant dream.

Life on these unique and beautiful islands survives today largely thanks to tourism. The Uros Islands are Peru’s second most popular travel destination after Machu Picchu, with islanders offering guided tours via boats and kayaks and selling handicrafts woven from the same totora reeds as the islands themselves. Given this reliance, the Uros were particularly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. And now, just as visitor numbers are starting to recover, they face a new kind of threat: political unrest.

In December, Peru’s president, Pedro Castillo, was ousted from office after attempting to dissolve the Congress. His vice president, Dina Boluarte, was swiftly sworn in as president, sparking nationwide protests calling for new elections, from the capital of Lima to the mountaintops of Cusco. Some of the biggest, deadliest demonstrations took place on Titicaca’s shores, where almost all people identify as Indigenous.

More:
https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/6162/on-the-edge-of-unrest-in-peru