Américo Pascuala Tomisha, an Ashéninka leader and former chief of the Onconashari native community in the Yurúa district of Ucayali, was killed on Sunday, August 23, 2026, during a community vigilance patrol of communal territory, the Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana (AIDESEP) reported.
Pascuala had spotted outsiders who were allegedly extracting copaiba oil, a resin harvested from Amazonian trees, on community land. The encounter turned into a confrontation in which he was shot with a firearm and killed.
According to AIDESEP, Pascuala had previously reported the presence of settlers and other outsiders inside the community's territory and had warned of a risk that culminated on Sunday in what the organization called the irreparable loss of an indigenous defender.
AIDESEP said it had sent condolences to Pascuala's family, to the Onconashari native community and to the Ashéninka people. The organization joined a call from the Organización Regional Aidesep Ucayali (ORAU) demanding justice and an effective investigation to identify and punish those responsible.
Senator Calls for Investigation
Senator Ruth Luque Ibarra demanded a thorough investigation into the killing of the Ashéninka leader. She said the government needed to take action over the insecurity affecting indigenous territories and the killings of indigenous leaders.
Peru's Record on Environmental Defenders
Peru has recorded more than 60 environmental defenders killed since 2012, making it one of the most dangerous countries in the region for people who protect the Amazon.
A report by Global Witness documented the killing of four indigenous leaders in Peru in 2024, in regions including Madre de Dios, Ucayali, Amazonas and Cusco. The organization found that the large majority of victims belonged to native communities and indigenous peoples.
As La República has reported in previous cases, crimes against environmental activists in Peru rarely result in swift sentencing or full punishment for those who order the killings.
Leaders of at-risk communities warn that extractive mafias are destroying forests and contaminating natural resources, while drug trafficking routes invade and take control of protected communal territories. They also point to a lack of police presence, oversight and justice that allows illicit economies to operate freely.
Recent Arrests in a Related Case
In August 2026, police captured Hugo Soria Flores in Ucayali. Soria had been a fugitive and was convicted of murdering four environmental defenders from the Alto Tamaya-Saweto community. Earlier, in May 2026, businessman José Estrada was detained in connection with the same case.
Social organizations say state protection protocols for defenders at risk are slow and lack adequate budget or police support.
