The members of an indigenous community from Ecuador had left their homes to the Amazon rainforest. They left their lands due to the fear of their group getting wiped out by the coronavirus as more infections are increasing in their territory, says an article.


Coronavirus in the Indigenous Group

The Siekopai nation, located along the border of Peru and Ecuador, has more or less 744 members. It had reported 15 COVID-19 cases in their area. In the last two weeks, two of the community's elderly leaders lost their lives after showcasing symptoms to the deadly illness, says the group.

A considerable number of Siekopai had showcased symptoms related to COVID-19. However, when they went to a health center of the government in Tarapoa City, the doctors diagnosed them with just a 'nasty flu,' says Justino Piaguaje, the president of the community.


Death of the Community's Leaders

The first of the community's elders passed away last month. During that time, the leaders of Siekopai requested the government of Ecuador to fence off the group. Also, they asked the government to test the members of the community for the novel coronavirus. However, the tribe did not receive any response from the government.

As their community is made up of at least 700 members, they fear an outcome that is similar to the past. Previously, their community has been victims of a kind of disease. Also, the tribe fears that one day, some of those who survived the current pandemic will be saying that they were initially at least 700, and now they are a hundred. They believed that it would be a scandal for the government of Ecuador to leave them.


Fleeing to the Rainforest

Due to the inclining fears of contracting SARS-CoV-2, the virus the causes COVID, a lot of children and elderly from the Siekopai community fled their lands by using canoes to Lagartococha. Lagartococha is one of the biggest wetlands of Ecuador located at the center of the Amazon.


Those Left Behind

The Siekopai, who were left behind in their lands in the Sucumbios province in Ecuador, is making use of homeopathic medicines to treat those who were suffering from respiratory health issues.


Other Groups 

Other Indigenous communities in the Amazon rainforest of Ecuador was also reported to have confirmed coronavirus cases, says CONFENIAE, an indigenous group.


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Neglecting Indigenous Groups

According to many human rights organizations operating in the Amazonian regions of Ecuador, the country's health ministry is neglecting indigenous communities such as the Siekopai. The Siekopai are not yet issued test kits and medical supplies for COVID-19.

Based on the statement of Maria Espinosa, a human rights defender with the Amazon Frontlines group, these communities are at a high risk of being culturally and physically wiped out by the coronavirus in their homeland.

In Peru, indigenous communities had already issued a formal complaint to the United Nations in the latter part of April. In the complaint, they stated that their government had abandoned them to take care of themselves amid the COVID-19 pandemic.