Saweto, also spelled Soweto, is a small village of mostly Asháninka people in Peru. Located within the Ucayali region, the village lies deep in the Peruvian Amazon, on the Alto Tamaya river, near the Brazilian border. The people of Saweto have engaged in a continuous struggle for official title from the Peruvian government to the land they inhabit. This would help enforce against illegal activities, like logging, and encroachment.[1] The village and its struggle gained widespread national and international media coverage following the murder of Saweto's leader, Edwin Chota, and three others, in September 2014, by illegal loggers as they crossed the Brazilian border to meet with leaders of another – though related – indigenous community.[2] With increased pressure from the media following these assassinations, the Peruvian government granted legal title to the people of Saweto on January 30, 2015. This land title grants the Asháninka people of Saweto 80,000 hectares, despite strong opposition from pro-logging lobbies, and illegal loggers.[3]
Saweto
Alta Tamaya-Saweto | |
|---|---|
Indigenous Area | |
  Saweto Location in Peru | |
| Coordinates: 8°58′59″S 73°10′14″W / 8.983071°S 73.170511°W | |
| Country | Peru |
| Region | Ucayali |
| Province | Coronel Portillo |
| Titled | 2015 |
| Recognized as native | 2003 |
| Area | |
• Total | 786 km2 (303 sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (PET) |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Mahogany's Last Stand". nationalgeographic.com. Archived from the original on March 18, 2013. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ "Quadruple Homicide in Peruvian Amazon Puts Criminal Logging in Spotlight". nationalgeographic.com. Archived from the original on September 12, 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2015.
- ^ "Peru Passes Resolution to Title Saweto after Murders". upperamazon.org. Retrieved 20 March 2015.