Peru, tourist dies in shamanic ritual: he had drunk ayahuasca. The boom of the “psychedelic” holiday

Peru. American tourist dies during a shamanic ritual in the Loreto region, at the northern edge of the Amazonian part of the South American country, near the border with Brazil. The man, a forty-one-year-old, Aaron Wayne Castronova, according to what was learned from the local prosecutor's office, which has opened an investigation, would have drunk a beverage based on ayahuasca, a beverage made from vines and shrubs that induces trance and is among the most sought after by the growing number of followers of the "psychedelic" forms of new age tourism that has among its favorite destinations Latin American countries, starting with Mexico , with their pre-Columbian traditions.

The coroner's warning

The regional prosecutor's medical examiner, Narciso López, explained that the victim suffered "a collapse that led to his death," reminding potential fans of such experiential tourism that ayahuasca can cause "not only death, but also permanent and irreversible damage."

The ritual took place in a hostel in the indigenous community of Santa Maria de Ojeda, a five-hour boat ride from the regional capital, Iquitos. In the Amazonian regions of Loreto, Ucayali and San Martín, a tourism industry has been developing for about twenty years, focused on the psychedelic experiences associated with this particular drink. Although its consumption is legal, as well as part of Peruvian cultural heritage, ingestion is not free of health risks.

The pre-Columbian origin

An ancient brew used by indigenous peoples of the Amazon during spiritual healing rituals, ayahuasca is made from the eponymous vine combined with other plants. It is not the first time that a tourist has died in Peru during spiritual sessions. In August 2024, a Ukrainian man mauled a Russian woman while under the influence of the brew. In January, the U.S. Embassy in Peru issued a warning advising citizens against "ingesting or consuming traditional hallucinogens, often known as ayahuasca or kambo."