Media Narratives, Ayahuasca and Western Migrations: Critical analysis of Olivia Arévalo’s murder

Abstract

This study examines the Peruvian media's coverage of Olivia Arévalo's murder in 2018, a Shipibo wise woman known for her Ayahuasca healing rituals. The perpetrator, a Canadian man seeking to learn healing rituals for addiction treatment, was subsequently executed by the indigenous community. Media monitoring identified a total of 574 global news articles, with just 7.66% originating from Peruvian sources. Critical discourse analysis revealed significant shortcomings, particularly in Peruvian media outlets, characterized by stark neutrality and an omission of crucial socio-historical, cultural, and political contexts. This highlights the absence of comprehensive media discussions on migration, emphasizing a gap in journalistic coverage and underscoring the need for further examination of migration narratives in the media landscape.