The base was located near some Indian tribes who strongly opposed the exploitation of resources found in their ancestral territories.

[citation needed] World-wide attention focused on Shell in January 1956 at the news of the disappearance of Saint and four other missionaries – Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully, and Roger Youderian.

The hospital was the dream of Nate Saint, who donated both land and time to work on its construction before his death in 1956.

In August 1964, Nate Saint Memorial School opened in Shell for missionary children.

[3] Today, Shell is a town of around 10,000 people, with many business enterprises, schools, churches, hotels and restaurants, and a hospital.

There is also a large military base (El Fuerte Militar Amazonas), which serves as headquarters for the 17th Jungle Brigade, as well as EWIAS (Escuela de Iwias Crnl.

[4] The airstrip remains operational and continues to serve the region as the Río Amazonas Airport (PTZ), which is owned by the military and used as a base.