Americo López Sanchez
Hello everyone! I am Americo López Sanchez. My authentic Shipibo name is “PEKON NIMA,” which means “the many colors of nature” in English.
Americo is a great healer who possesses a true gift and a desire to share his knowledge; he is always striving to grow and become a better doctor and a better person. He works extensively with young people, seeking to pass down his knowledge of medicinal plants and Shipibo culture.
Americo López Sanchez comes from a community called Roaboya Nativa, near Pucallpa, Peru.
The story goes that Americo’s mother gave birth to him under a Shihuahuaco tree, near a rubber plantation where his parents had been sent to work at the time. His mother, who had already had four boys before him, had prayed for a girl and, in her disappointment, decided to bury him. Fortunately, he was rescued and raised by his cousin, who was a newlywed.
Americo carried these formative early experiences with him and was inspired by his father, José López Rengifo (Sani Meni), and his work as a prominent healer. He decided to follow in his footsteps to become a healer in his own right, helping those who are suffering, lost, or seeking a cure.
Americo loves working with youth and used to be a school teacher. He is deeply eloquent with a gift for storytelling. He tells us that in the old days, there was a direct line of healing; he would like to recover this type of traditional education—starting from gestation with diets and songs—which allows the natural gifts of children to shine.
Although he was exposed to plant medicines from a very young age, he began his training in earnest around age 15 with a diet of Pinon Colorado. At age 19, he began drinking Ayahuasca and assisting his father in healing ceremonies. He describes this as a difficult time filled with multiple trials.
Overcoming these challenges gave him the spiritual strength and resilience to continue his learning. Some years later, after the death of his father, he began dieting with Master Plants. After years of arduous training in isolation, he felt ready to begin working as a curandero (healer) in his community.
- Noya Rao
- Shihuahuaco
- Manchinga
- Chiric Sanango
- Bobinsana
- Marusa
- Lodging and nutrition
- Ancestral games
- Cultural dances