Latam Eco review: Two theories about Peruvian activist’s assassination

Below are summaries of the most popular stories by our Spanish language service, Mongabay Latam, from the week of April 16 – 22. Among the top articles: the environmental world’s reaction to the terrible assassination of Olivia Arévalo, an activist of the Shipibo people in Peru; the search for a better system of land distribution in Colombia; and the struggle of indigenous communities in Bolivia against the construction of the Rositas hydroelectric plant. The image above from the vast Mongabay Latam archive, of a Gouldian Finch (Erythrura gouldiae) — a colorful bird endemic to northern Australia, was the most popular on Latam’s social networks. Peru: Assassination of Shipibo leader and healer Olivia Arévalo, a traditional healer of the Shipibo people, was 81 years old. For the past few years, she lived near Pucallpa in the Yarinacocha district where she produced artisanal crafts and occasionally led ayahuasca sessions. Image courtesy of the Temple of the Way of Light. To understand the magnitude of Olivia Arévalo’s murder, it is important to know who she was within the Shipibo indigenous community of the Amazon. The 81-year old, fatally shot April 9, served as a meraya, or master healer with ancestral knowledge of traditional medicine practices. “She will continue being a living symbol of wisdom and feminine strength that contributed to the reaffirmation of our cultural identity, helping us establish a line of communication between the Shipibo Konibos, medical science and western society,” said Ronald Suárez, president of the Shipibo Konibo Xetebo Council. A…

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