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In late 2011, the Peruvian media reported on a series of brutal murders committed deep in the Peruvian Amazon, in a region called Balsapuerto, home to the Shawi indigenous people. In the space of just ten months, 14 Shawi traditional healers (or “curanderos,” as they are known locally) were reportedly victims of a wave of brutal murders.
According to local reports, the alleged mastermind behind these murders was the then-incumbent mayor of Balsapuerto, Alfredo Torres Rucoba. Accused of orchestrating a politically motivated witch-hunting campaign, he and his brother Augusto earned the local nickname “Los Matabrujos.” The Banished of Balsapuerto is an ongoing investigation into these deaths and the theories behind them, using a mix of on-site interviews, unpublished police and court documents, excerpts from the local press, as well as original photographs and illustrations.
Winner of the Arles 2023 Author's Book Award.
Published by Rm Editorial, 2022
23.5 cm 16.5 cm, 424 pages
ISBN 9788419233264
In late 2011, the Peruvian media reported on a series of brutal murders committed deep in the Peruvian Amazon, in a region called Balsapuerto, home to the Shawi indigenous people. In the space of just ten months, 14 Shawi traditional healers (or “curanderos,” as they are known locally) were reportedly victims of a wave of brutal murders.
According to local reports, the alleged mastermind behind these murders was the then-incumbent mayor of Balsapuerto, Alfredo Torres Rucoba. Accused of orchestrating a politically motivated witch-hunting campaign, he and his brother Augusto earned the local nickname “Los Matabrujos.” The Banished of Balsapuerto is an ongoing investigation into these deaths and the theories behind them, using a mix of on-site interviews, unpublished police and court documents, excerpts from the local press, as well as original photographs and illustrations.
Winner of the Arles 2023 Author's Book Award.
Published by Rm Editorial, 2022
23.5 cm 16.5 cm, 424 pages
ISBN 9788419233264
