For years, they have erased their traces to protect themselves from colonization and have remained separated from the rest of society.
News Colombia.
According to the report submitted by the Land Restitution Unit to the specialized court in land restitution, the Yuri and Passé are survivors of the pre-Hispanic indigenous Yurimaguas and Yorimanes peoples of the Amazon River. Known for their extraordinary history of resistance, these peoples have survived colonization and slavery for millennia in the depths of the Colombian Amazon.
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The Yurí and the Passé stand out as the only uncontacted and unidentified people in Colombia. For approximately 150 years, these groups have chosen to erase all traces of their existence to protect themselves from the invasion and exploitation they have historically suffered. Over the centuries, they have maintained absolute isolation, avoiding any contact with the outside world, including other indigenous groups.
“What we know is that these people have been resisting contact for over 200 years. They live in the forest and are completely dependent on it, avoiding any relationship with other human beings, even with members of other indigenous communities,” explained Daniel Aristizábal, coordinator of Isolated Peoples in the Amazon Conservation Team, in a report by Noticias Caracol.
Evidence and threats faced by the Yurí Passé
The only known evidence of their existence comes from satellite images and aerial photos showing their malocas and crops. However, the survival of the Yurí and the Passé is threatened by the expansion of economic activities in the Amazon region. Illegal gold mining in the Puré River, which borders their territory, is coming dangerously close to their habitats.
In response to these threats, unprecedented protection measures were established for indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation in Colombia in 2023. The Land Restitution Unit, with the support of the Civil Court of the Specialized Circuit for Land Restitution of the Judicial District of Cundinamarca, managed to implement precautionary measures to safeguard the rights and territory of the Yurí and the Passé.
“The Land Restitution Unit provided evidence that sufficiently supports the imminent or extremely serious danger looming over the Yuri and Passé peoples, and therefore decreed the precautionary measure in which it orders additional measures in order to protect the right to live in their territory and the exercise of non-contact as a manifestation of their right to self-determination.”
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