The risks are great, considering how consistently the Korubo have been defending their territory against intruders ever since the late sixties. Trespassing in Korubo lands is dangerous. Yet, contacting the Korubo implies a mortal risk not only for them, but also for the Indians. In fact, whether it succeeds or fails, the odds are that many Korubo will not survive this contact. The epidemics which inevitably follow a breach of isolation among native Americans are doomed to take their toll.
Peace can be deadly too.
As I write, Possuelo's crew only recently included one single paramedic, and locally active NGOs such as Medicos Sem Fronteira are quite vexed not to have been alerted to prepare emergency measures. Neighboring Amerindians, in particular the Matis, among whom I have conducted fieldwork and who speak a language quite similar to Korubo, also generally disagree with Possuelo's project. They claim that contact would only bring the Korubo deadly epidemics and frustration caused by an insolvent longing for manufactured goods. My mother died. My husband died.