Putumayo genocide

Putumayo genocide
Putumayo genocide
Part of the Amazon rubber boom
	Huitoto natives in conditions of slavery
Location	Colombia and Peru
Date	1879 – 1912
Attack type	Slavery, Genocidal rape, torture, Crimes against humanity
Deaths	32,000 to 40,000+
Perpetrators	Peruvian Amazon Company

The Putumayo genocide (Spanish: genocidio del Putumayo) refers to the severe exploitation and ethnocide of the indigenous population in the Amazon rainforest during the Amazon rubber boom (1879-1912). This genocide was perpetrated primarily by the Peruvian Amazon Company, led by Julio César Arana. The company subjected the indigenous people to extreme violence, enslavement, and inhumane conditions in their pursuit of rubber extraction.^[2]

The genocide commenced with the exploration and settlement of uncolonized land in the Amazon by various South American countries, which led to the subjugation of local tribes. Arana's company, initially a partnership with Benjamín Larrañaga, expanded its operations in the region, enslaving the native population and subjecting them to brutal violence. Most of the elderly natives perished during the early stages of the genocide due to the company's ruthless practices.

The Peruvian Amazon Company became notorious for its cruel treatment of the indigenous people, forcing them to work in inhuman conditions, often resulting in death or severe punishment. The company trained a group of indigenous males, known as Muchachos de Confianza ("boys of trust"), to act as enforcers and torturers against their own people. Managers of the company, including Elías Martinengui, Andrés O'Donnell, and the Rodríguez brothers, were implicated in widespread starvation, torture, and killings at their stations.

The Putumayo genocide resulted in the annihilation of 90% of the affected Amazonian populations. Despite the issuance of 215 arrest warrants against employees of the Peruvian Amazon Company in 1911, the company continued its operations, further exploiting and abusing the indigenous population. Even after the liquidation of the Peruvian Amazon Company, Arana and his associates retained control over the indigenous population in the Putumayo region, leading to forced relocations and continued exploitation.

Despite its historical significance, the genocide remains relatively unknown. Witness accounts, such as those by Walter Ernest Hardenburg [de] and Roger Casement, brought global attention to the severe conditions and abuses faced by the indigenous people.

^ Tully, John (2011). The Devil's Milk A Social History of Rubber. Monthly Review Press. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-58367-261-7.
^ ^a ^b "Cien años después, la Amazonía recuerda uno de sus episodios más trágicos" [One hundred years later, the Amazon remembers one of its most tragic episodes]. BBC News (in Spanish). October 12, 2012. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2021.
^ Uriarte, Javier; Martínez-Pinzón, Felipe, eds. (2019). Intimate Frontiers A Literary Geography of the Amazon. Liverpool University Press. p. 120. ISBN 9781786949721.
^ Department of State 1913, pp. 119, 160.

[1] Tully, John (2011). The Devil's Milk A Social History of Rubber. Monthly Review Press. p. 86. ISBN 978-1-58367-261-7.

[BBC1-2] "Cien años después, la Amazonía recuerda uno de sus episodios más trágicos" [One hundred years later, the Amazon remembers one of its most tragic episodes]. BBC News (in Spanish). October 12, 2012. Archived from the original on January 27, 2023. Retrieved July 30, 2021.

[3] Uriarte, Javier; Martínez-Pinzón, Felipe, eds. (2019). Intimate Frontiers A Literary Geography of the Amazon. Liverpool University Press. p. 120. ISBN 9781786949721.

[FOOTNOTEDepartment_of_State1913119,_160-4] Department of State 1913, pp. 119, 160.

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