The news has been buzzing recently with photos of a previously “uncontacted” indigenous group in the Amazon forest near the Brazilian-Peruvian border — that is, a self-sustaining indigenous community that exists without contact with the industrial world.

Loggers, ranchers and oil companies have a history of denying that such groups exist, in order to avoid running afoul of indigenous protection laws. But another less well-known threat is highlighted by an article from The Independent: the Trans-Oceanic Highway (also called the Interoceanic Highway).

Designed to facilitate trade by linking Peru’s Pacific ports with Brazilian ports on the Amazon River, the highway is a major component of the South American Regional Infrastructure Integration Intitiative (IIRSA). It has also been called the biggest threat to indigenous peoples in the region.

“In theory, it should not affect these peoples, and it won’t go slap through their land,” said John Hemming, a researcher of Brazilian indigenous peoples. “But when it’s built, the settlers will come pouring in.” He added that the highway will also facilitate contact for illegal loggers and mineral prospectors.

Note that while many news articles, including the Independent story linked to above, assume that the recently photographed “uncontacted” peoples have never heard of modern civilization, in fact such groups are almost certainly aware of the outside world — they just want nothing to do with it, as this article points out.