During 2020–21, as a consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was momentarily paused. Seeking to prevent infections, many businesses and stores, workplaces, recreation centers, and walk-in businesses had to close; many found it necessary to cut staff and, in the worst cases, lay off large numbers of workers. This situation caused diverse forms of labor and subsistence to disappear and led to a deficit in many people’s economy. In turn, the spread of the illness generated by coronavirus caused many people to become infected, having to buy medication and pay for costly treatments to recover their health and save their lives.

            During the first year, the pandemic claimed the lives of thousands of people, regardless of sex, color, race, religion, or economic status. I lived through the pandemic in Peru, a multiethnic and pluricultural country with fifty-five Indigenous communities (Shipibo Konibo, Ashaninka, among others) with a depth of ancestral knowledge about natural medicine based on plants, transmitted from generation to generation. These medicinal knowledges continue being present in many communities to this day and were effectively used to fight the pandemic.

            As a result of the large loss of human life, the pain of family members, and the impotence of not being able to do anything to help those close to them, along with the Peruvian state’s indifference when it came to addressing the health needs of its citizens, many people found it necessary to stay in their homes and to turn to other forms of treatment. One of the first options was natural medicine, or, as many of us know it, “grandma’s recipe.” In this context of a serious health emergency and social crisis, an empathetic community, mostly belonging to the Shipibo-Konibo people, decided to organize and form Comando Matico on May 16, 2020. Our desire and objective was to help treat and cure the ills caused by the virus, using medicinal plants, vegetables, and other materials as the main ingredients for the preparation of syrups, infusions, and other compounds that were complemented with Western medicine and/or antibiotics. Comando Matico’s work first reached people of the Shipibo-Konibo community since they were aware of the effective and prodigious results of natural medicine, as well as of the difficulties of paying for Western treatments and medicine that were very expensive at the time. Later, after news of the positive results began to circulate, Comando Matico’s work spread to other places, which led people from other Indigenous communities, as well as the mestizo population of the Amazonian city of Pucallpa and other areas of the country, to approach the center for treatment. As awareness of these actions grew, awakening the interest of many, different agencies, institutions, and NGOs showed solidarity and contributed by donating tools, medication, beds, wheelchairs, oxygen tanks, and kitchen utensils, among other things. Many volunteers joined, including doctors and nurses, with the sole goal of improving patients’ care.

            At first, Comando Matico established its treatment center next to the Yarinacocha Parrish, in the department of Ucayali, in the central-eastern part of the country. That site was outfitted in order to treat and care for patients, and later, due to the lack of space, Comando Matico moved to the communal premises of the Bena Jema human settlement, in Yarinacocha, where they continued treating patients.¹ Subsequently, the acquisition of a piece of land near the Villa Selva human settlement was negotiated. Currently, in light of the decrease in COVID-19 cases, Comando Matico has expanded its healthcare services to other types of illnesses, which has had important results and has been well received. Information about these activities and knowledges has spread through social and conventional media, making it possible to share various recipes for homemade remedies or syrups as well.

            Since ancient times, Indigenous Amazonian cultures have developed their own means of subsistence, creating many types of tools, utensils, food, and medicine. These knowledges were passed down from generation to generation, from grandmothers to granddaughters, from fathers to sons, and have been continuously practiced to the present day. For more than 500 years, those peoples have used their knowledges of plants to cure diverse illnesses; over the years, those knowledges were devalued, especially after the appearance of Western medicine following the Spanish conquest. Our ancestors were marginalized, devalued, enslaved, and even excluded from the system of citizenship—without rights to anything—and all the ancestral and curative knowledge of plants was forgotten. Now, in these times of the pandemic, Indigenous peoples have given greater importance to natural medicine and treatments with medicinal plants, primarily practicing them among our family and friends, with positive and favorable results. News of the impact of these treatments also reached the ears of mestizo people who believed in healing with medicinal plants, leading them to practice it as well.

            As a result, if you were to go onto the street during the first months of the pandemic, you would have perceived an aroma of eucalyptus, matico, mucrua, and other plants, which was a clear sign that many people also practiced that form of healing, affirming their belief that the use of those plants could contribute to treatment and recovery from coronavirus. In turn, interest multiplied in different ways, through social media, television programs, and by word of  mouth, along with lessons on how to prepare infusions, syrups, and plant mixtures for vaporization. The latter was of particular interest to many people. Thus began the reevaluation of natural medicine in this pandemic, which became a very helpful and important option for confronting the health crisis, as well as garnering the interest of a number of doctors (Meraya doctors) who recommended it as part of their treatments.²

            We do not want to devalue or discredit Western medication or medicine, but, on the contrary, to emphasize how plants functioned to supplement the treatment of coronavirus and other illnesses, respecting both types of medicine and their indications and contraindications. Therefore, we recommended that the state’s public policy include the dialogue or knowledge encounter between natural Indigenous medicine and Western medicine, in order to encourage the use of master plants for the treatment of illness with the sole goal of improving people’s health. It has been proven that combining both types of knowledge enables better results and, we could even say, cures illnesses that Western medicine cannot alleviate on its own.
On the other hand, by using ingredients of a natural origin, the side effects of traditional medicine are less harmful than those produced by Western medicine, thus improving the quality of people’s health and also leading to significantly lower costs and greater accessibility for those with few economic resources. That is why we have recovered the importance of natural medicine during the pandemic, thinking in terms of a synergy between both forms of knowledge.

            During this pandemic, the work of women, especially Indigenous women, has been essential. In our case, Comando Matico was mostly led by women, who provided careful, personalized, supportive, and empathetic care to patients who came to be treated. While it is true that one of the principal biosecurity protocols was to isolate the infected patient for fourteen days—the incubation period and time of the virus’s evolution—in order to prevent the spread and contagion from the one person to another, this caused patients to feel isolated and alone, filled with uncertainty about whether they would live or die. That would cause them to become depressed, weakening them and their immune systems, causing their health to decline and, in the worst cases, to die in solitude. Upon recognizing this problem, Comando Matico created its treatment protocols. One crucial aspect was not leaving Indigenous people to face the virus alone, but rather providing them with personalized and familiar care, creating a welcoming environment for patients. This work of companionship and care was primarily carried out by Indigenous women who also prepared a diet based on matico, ginger, garlic, and onion, which aided patients’ recovery and regeneration. Since ancient times, and continuing to this day, Indigenous women have had an important role in natural medicine, as they were usually in charge of medications. They would grind the leaves, prepare the mixtures, and preserve the knowledge about how to enhance the effectiveness of those plants. Before pulling out the leaves and roots, they would communicate and request permission from the plants’ spirits, so that they would provide health and healing, allowing the plant elements and their spirits to have twice the effect. This tradition has been passed down from generation to generation. Furthermore, natural medicine not only consists of the use of medicinal plants, but also employs countless animals and insects that have curative properties, which, when extracted, are used to treat many illnesses.

            During these two years of the pandemic, our Indigenous culture has encouraged us to relearn the urgent necessity of valuing and caring for the plants, animals, and nature that surround us, creating awareness of environmental conservation. Many plants we find in our gardens, orchards, parks, and other places, which also grow as weeds, are curative, yet they often end up being up pulled up by their roots since people are not aware of their medicinal properties. It is essential to maintain a spiritual connection with plants, knowing how to respect them and asking permission to use their leaves, which not only modifies their reaction in our bodies, but also allows us to maintain a good relation and coexist with nature. Similarly, we have learned to value our Indigenous elders. From them, we can emulate and imitate their respect for and harmonious coexistence with nature. They are like living libraries because of the large amounts of mystical and ancestral knowledge that they possess. Finally, facing the pandemic together has revived feelings of kindness, solidarity, and empathy, which had begun to be lost with the passing of time. That rebirth could be seen in the works of many people, as those desires and actions are the fundamental pillars that moved and motivated all of us who make up Comando Matico. It is also what allows us to continue moving forward today despite the difficulties we face. That spirit of continuing to help and reclaim ancestral Indigenous knowledges has led Comando Matico to now produce ointments based on natural plants for different illnesses. That is also what gave birth to our slogan: “The people help the people.”

Our Medicine

The treatments given to patients are classified in the following way:

MATICO TEA RECIPE

(Mild, moderate, and/or serious cases)

For everyone, if they have COVID-19 or not, it is an anti-inflammatory for the lungs and helps stabilize the patient. The infusion is made as follows:

• Mild, moderate, and severe cases: like drinking water

Mode of preparation:

    1. Bring 1 liter of water to boil in a pot
    2. When the water boils, add the matico leaves
    3. Allow to boil for 5 minutes
    4. Turn off the heat and serve in a glass, adding the honey

ANTICOAGULANT REMEDY

“Ginger syrup”

(Cases: mild, moderate, and/or severe) 

For patients who have COVID-19, it helps blood circulation, and
can also be used to prevent COVID-19. The treatment is carried out

as follows:

• For people who have mild, moderate, or severe cases of COVID-19: every four hours

• In cases of people who do not have symptoms of COVID-19 (prevention): 2 times per day

  Warning: Should not be used for those who have gastritis or high blood pressure, as it can raise blood pressure.

REMEDY FOR COUGH AND AGITATION

(Mild, moderate, and/or serious cases)

This remedy is applied to people who suffer from asthma, agitation, cough, and shortness of breath, and helps to clean the lungs with phlegm, improving respiratory problems. The treatment is carried out as follows:

• Mild or moderate cases: Every two or three hours

• Serious cases: Every half hour

Warning: Should not be used for prevention

VAPORIZATION RECIPE

(Mild, moderate, and/or serious cases)

For everyone who has COVID-19, it helps to clean the lungs that are full of mucus and opens up the chest to improve respiratory difficulties. The treatment is carried out in the following way:

• Mild cases: three times a day, morning, afternoon, and night

• Moderate and serious cases: once an hour

  In the case of people who do not have COVID-19, it can be used for prevention, two times a day: morning and afternoon.

  Warning: It should not be applied to a person with a fever, until their temperature comes down.

  Mode of preparation
  
  1. Wash all the leaves and put them in a pot before boiling
  2. Cut the onion, garlic, ginger, and lemon in four
  3. Let boil for approximately 20 to 25 minutes with all the plants
  4. Add Vicks VapoRub to the boiling pot
  5. Cover the patient with a thick sheet of plastic with the preparation for 10 minutes
  6. Let the evaporation continue without taking off the covered sheet until the patient’s body temperature drops
  7. Once the patient’s body temperature drops, change clothes
  8. Rest for one and a half hours 

Courtesy, Mery Elida Fasabi Monteluisa, Comando Matico doctor