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Putumayo genocide

From Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Putumayo genocide
Part of the Amazon rubber boom
Huitoto Amerindians in conditions of slavery
LocationColombia and Peru
Date1879 (1879) – 1912 (1912)
Attack type
Slavery, Genocidal rape, torture, Crimes against humanity
Deaths40,000 to 250,000+[1][2]
PerpetratorsPeruvian Amazon Company

During the Putumayo genocide (1879-1912), the Peruvian Amazon Company systematically killed and enslaved indigenous people in the Amazon.

Estimates say that the Peruvian Amazon Company killed between 40.000 and 250.000 indigenous people during the genocide.[1][2]

In the late 19th century, rubber was discovered in the Amazon Basin. Rubber was very valuable at the time, and the Peruvian Amazon Comany was responsible for harvesting it. When they did, they forced people to work as slaves.

Most of the genocide happened in the area between Río Putumayo and Japurá River. Today, this area is on the border between Colombia and Peru.

The book The Dream of the Celt by Mario Vargas Llosa describes these events.

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References

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  1. 1.0 1.1 "Cien años después, la Amazonía recuerda uno de sus episodios más trágicos". BBC News (in Spanish). 12 October 2012. Retrieved 30 July 2021.
  2. 2.0 2.1 White, Matthew (15 July 2019). "Twentieth Century Atlas - Death Tolls". Necrometrics. Retrieved 30 July 2021.