Armed men invaded Ashaninka territory earlier this month
Brazil’s Ministry of Indigenous Peoples said Friday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Peru’s Ministry of Culture to strengthen cooperation in protecting Indigenous territories, particularly those of isolated peoples along the border between the two countries.
The agreement, which the Brazilian government said is expected to be published in the coming weeks, has been under negotiation since 2024. It will establish a framework for sharing information and coordinating protection efforts, the ministry said.
The announcement comes after a group of Ashaninka Indigenous leaders began meetings with federal officials in Brasilia, Brazil’s capital, seeking urgent protection for their territory.
Earlier this month, five armed men carrying machine guns invaded their land, threatened families and searched for their main leaders. The Ashaninka territory spans the Brazil-Peru border in the western Amazon.