Learning objective: To understand the anthropological, nutritional, and cultural implications of survival cannibalism and its historical interpretations.
HISTORICAL DEFINITIONS AND CONTEXTUAL INTRODUCTION
The concept of cannibalism (canibalismo: consumption of human flesh by humans) has been historically documented in ritual, warfare, and extreme survival contexts. In pre-Columbian South America, some groups such as the Tupinambá practiced it in symbolic rituals, whereas in Papua New Guinea it was part of funerary traditions. In contrast, in the twentieth century, modern cases were linked to accidents, like the 1972 Andes flight disaster. In that tragedy, a Fairchild FH-227 of the Uruguayan Air Force, carrying 45 passengers including the Old Christians rugby team, crashed in the high Andes between Chile and Argentina. ❄️ After the initial crash on October 13, twelve died instantly, and others followed from injuries and cold, with a total of 29 fatalities. Sixteen survived until December 23, when they were rescued after 72 days of isolation.
Survival cannibalism is defined as the ingestion of deceased companions in extreme circumstances with no alternative food. In the Andes case, the survivors resisted almost two weeks before accepting this practice, after exhausting chocolates, wine, and even leather from luggage. The act was justified as a moral pact (pacto moral: ethical agreement for shared survival) where those alive accepted consuming the dead, interpreting it as sacrifice and solidarity. 🌄 Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa led the expedition that crossed 60 kilometers of mountains in 10 days to find help, achieving the rescue. Testimonies report that the first cut was psychologically devastating, using shards of glass or metal to obtain frozen muscle and fat, mostly from legs and buttocks. They avoided immediate relatives, and Parrado himself refused to consume his sister.
In broader cultural myths, Latin American societies created urban legends about food contamination, such as the idea of tacos made from dog meat in Mexico. 🐕 Authorities indeed uncovered isolated cases of dog meat in clandestine stands, but the popular myth of tacos made with human flesh remains anecdotal and tied to sensationalist press, not to documented events. In contrast, verifiable modern cannibalism in Mexico has been linked to isolated crimes such as José Luis Calva, unrelated to food commerce. These narratives coexist with the Andes story, showing how societies process fear of contamination and limits of human conduct through food.
SCIENTIFIC APPLICATIONS, COMPARISONS, AND CULTURAL INTERPRETATIONS
The nutritional composition (composición nutricional: biochemical value of consumed tissues) of human muscle resembles that of pork or beef, providing proteins, fats, and calories. However, survivors noted it was fibrous, tasteless, and consumed raw or sun-dried because fire was impossible at 3,500 meters with no fuel. 🔥 Eating occurred one or two times per day, in tiny portions stored in cans. Each ration equaled a matchbox-sized piece, just enough to stand, melt snow, or attempt short explorations. Medically, all lost 30–40 kilograms, developed frostbite, and suffered weakness, but psychologically the greater struggle was overcoming the horror of chewing flesh while knowing its origin. Parrado later described it as communion, not gastronomy.
Regular consumption of human flesh carries severe risks. The case of kuru (kuru: prion-based neurodegenerative disease from consuming infected human brains) among the Fore people of Papua New Guinea showed how prions cause tremors, speech loss, and uncontrollable laughter 😂 before death. This disease demonstrated that habitual cannibalism is biologically hazardous, even if nutritionally adequate. For this reason, although human flesh has caloric value, it offers no unique benefit compared with beef, poultry, or legumes, and presents far greater epidemiological danger.
The Andes case also had legal and aeronautical consequences. The investigation concluded that the copiloto descended prematurely due to a navigation error, believing the aircraft had crossed into Chile. With no GPS or modern radar, they relied on dead reckoning, a practice now studied under Crew Resource Management (gestión de recursos de tripulación: protocol to optimize cockpit decisions). 🛫 Today, aviation schools use the Andes flight as a cautionary tale: in mountainous terrain, altitude cannot be reduced without instrument confirmation. The tragedy also marked the end of civilian use of Uruguayan Air Force chárter flights, while commercial routes adopted stricter rules.
The survivors’ post-rescue life reveals how trauma transformed into resilience. Sixteen men, among them Parrado, Canessa, and Carlos Páez Rodríguez, became professionals, entrepreneurs, or motivational speakers. Some, like Eduardo Strauch, wrote memoirs, while others returned privately to rural life. No government subsidy was granted, since the flight was contracted privately, though they received immediate medical aid in Chile. 🌍 Today, they emphasize friendship, humor, and hope as the real reasons for survival, not merely cannibalism. They often recall their daily routines: waking at sunrise, sleeping early to conserve heat, playing improvised card games, imagining banquets, and praying. Memory of the 29 who died is honored at the site with a cross, as part of the so-called Society of the Snow (Sociedad de la Nieve: community concept created by survivors), reaffirmed in the 2023 film adaptation.
My Diary - Leonardo Cardillo 