Yacutayta
The Community of Manco Cápac
Manco Cápac was established in 1942 when Santiago Maricahua, Carlos Cuipano and Domingo Ahuanari brought together a group of 10 families who set up residence on the banks of the Puinahua 66,5 km from Requena and 36,5 km from Bretaña. The name was chosen to commemorate a terrible accident that had occurred when a wooden boat, the Manco Cápac, shipwrecked on the banks of the village. In the process of rescuing the survivors, the members of the community demonstrated their solidarity and courage. The boat’s mast still floats above the deep waters of Puinahua.
The population of Manco Cápac has tripled over the course of the last 4 decades and it now has 400 habitants. Manco Cápac also has a secondary school, a local shop and a telephone connection via satellite.
The community’s economy is intimately associated with the rising and ebbing of water levels throughout the year. Water levels may vary by as much as ten meters. When the waters are at the right level, the fishermen dedicate themselves to fishery, agriculture, plant collection and hunting. Fishing is the activity that generates the most income and comprises the main food source for the community.
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