A Peruvian legend has hit the headlines with the arrest of a group charged with extracting and selling human body fat for use in cosmetics. The following is an examination of the Peru myth, and the recent reports from Peru’s Huanuco and Pasco regions.
The Pishtacos – A Peru Legend
An old Peruvian legend speaks of a group known as the Pishtacos. This ancient Peruvian myth, possibly stretching back as far as pre-Columbian times, tells of a group of bandits who prey upon lonely travelers making their way along quiet, isolated roads. These men are described as foreign in appearance, tall with blue eyes and blonde hair, not possessing the typical physical characteristics found amongst Peruvians.
The Pishtacos, legend has it, hack the limbs from their victims, sometimes cooking and eating the flesh. However, the Pishtacos are not simple cannibals – what they seek from their prey is fat. The body is strung-up above a candle and the corpse slowly heated to extract the precious fat from the victim.
Accounts of what these Pishtacos do with the extracted human fat have changed over time. Older stories claim that the fat was used as oil for church bells or for the production of luxury soaps. More modern accounts have the fat being sold for use in high tech industries, particularly as lubrication for airplanes and space shuttles.
A Peru Myth and Cautionary Tale
As a cautionary tale, the emergence and continued existence of this particular Peruvian myth is not without grounds. At the most basic level, the legend serves as a warning for travelers on lonely roads. Bandits have existed, in various forms, throughout the history of Peru.
But the Pishtacos are also outsiders – foreigners who interfere with the native population. The myth is basically xenophobic, serving as a warning against strangers and the potential dangers that they pose. Historically, the arrival of the Spanish Conquistadores is the most obvious reinforcing factor for such a myth. Today, shady foreign investors, drug traffickers and sex tourists help to promulgate the tale.
The Emergence of the Pishtacos – A Peru Myth Becomes Reality
Incredibly, and quite disturbingly, this myth would seem to have become a reality. On Nov. 20th, 2009, BBC News Online reported the arrest of four men “on suspicion of killing dozens of people in order to sell their fat and tissue for cosmetic uses in Europe.”
The gang has been accused of killing people on remote roads in order to extract their fat. These men have been referred to as Pishtacos. Two Italian nationals are still being sought; the involvement of foreigners further echoing the Peruvian myth.
The similarities are nothing short of bizarre. Before the incident, many Peruvians would talk of the Pishtacos as if they were indeed a reality; could they have been right? The entire truth of the story has yet to emerge. One suspect has already stated that the killings started over thirty years ago, but many doubts are being raised as to the validity of the whole affair.
One baffling piece of the puzzle is the actual sale of the fat. According to medical experts in both the BBC and MSNBC reports, there is no black market for human fat due to it being widely available for medical procedures. This fact alone serves to cast a long shadow of doubt over the story.
Peruvian police officials are increasingly falling under suspicion for having fabricated the events in order to bury other unsavory actions. Investigative journalist Ricardo Uceda was the first to argue that the story was a cover-up intended to hide the actions of police death squads in the Peruvian city of Trujillo.
Tony Dunnell - Tony Dunnell is a freelance writer and a specialist in South American travel. He has two Peru blogs, howtoperu.com and tarapotolife.com
