Although probably less known than the Maniqui River, the area between Yucumo and Rurrenabaque is one of the core centres of the ancestral lands of the Tsimane’ people. On the western side of the road connecting the two towns lies the TCO and Biosphere Reserve Pilón Lajas, one of the most important protected areas in Bolivia, and home to more than 10 Tsimane’ communities, located both along the road and along the Quiquibey River further inland.
Between October and November, Jorge spent two weeks visiting communities along the road. Thanks to the generosity of comunarios and authorities from Alto and Bajo Colorado, San José de Canaan, Puente Yucumo, and other communities, Jorge learned about the challenges and changes the Tsimane’ have been facing in recent years in the area. Jorge gained insights about the impacts of the devastating 2023 fires, or the increasing pressure on Tsimane’ lands from external actors, and ongoing shifts in livelihoods as greater access to the road brings deeper integration into the market economy, including cocoa cultivation and cattle herding.
