Copyright by Kathryn Ann Metz 2010 - The University of Texas at ...

CHAPTER II
FROM FOREST TO METROPOLIS:
MYTH, “DISCOVERY” AND DEVELOPMENT IN THE PERUVIAN AMAZON
Se oye aún el ruido de los remos de los misioneros jesuitas; el ronquido ambicioso de los vapores a
rueda de los caucheros; el dolor de agonía de familias enteras de nativos que fueron extinguidos.
One can still hear the noise of the oars of the Jesuit missionaries; the ambitious chugging of the
rubber barons’ steamboats; the agonizing pain of entire families of natives that were killed.
-Angela Rodríguez Gómez (1995:20)
Figure 1: Map of Peru; Loreto Department is in
red. Courtesy of Guillermo Romero.
Figure 2: Map of the Amazon region of South America with
the Amazon River highlighted. Courtesy of Kmusser.
28