www.survival-international.org/news/4706

"Business as usual": Peru approves massive oil project just days after "Amazon's Tiananmen"

Survival International
30 June 2009

 
Crossed spears left by uncontacted Indians in the region where Perenco is working. copyright Marek Wolodzko/Survival


Peru's government has given the green light to an Anglo-French company to drill for oil in the Amazon, just thirteen days after more than 30 people died in protests against the exploitation of the rainforest.

The project, located on land inhabited by two tribes of uncontacted Indians, is believed to be Peru's biggest oil discovery in thirty years. The company, Perenco, a major gas supplier to the UK, has in the past denied any uncontacted Indians live there.

Until recently, Perenco had been blocked from entering the area by local indigenous protesters. With help from Peru's armed forces, the company managed to break through the blockade on at least one occasion. 

High-ranking figures in Peru's government hope that Perenco's project will transform the Peruvian economy. While protests against the company were taking place, Perenco's chairman, Francois Perrodo, an Oxford University polo blue and scion of one of the wealthiest families in France, met Peru's President Garcia in Lima and pledged to invest $2bn in the project.

The government's green light comes just days after protests elsewhere in northern Peru were violently broken up by police, leading to the deaths of both police officers and indigenous protesters. The exact numbers are still unknown. Survival has issued an eyewitness account of the violence.

Perenco intends to build new platforms and wells involving airlifting in, amongst other things, 42,000 sacks of cement. It admits that "contamination of soil", "contamination of water" and the flight of game and birds are possible consequences of its work. All these are essential to the survival of the uncontacted Indians who live there. More seriously, the Indians face the very real threat of contagion from diseases to which they have no immunity.

Survival's Director, Stephen Corry, said today, "Anyone who hoped that the dreadful violence of the past few weeks might have made Peru's government act with a bit more sensitivity towards the indigenous people of the Amazon will be really dismayed at this news. The timing couldn't be worse - the government is trying to present a more friendly image in public, but as far as the oil companies are concerned, it looks like business as usual."

For more information please contact Miriam Ross at Survival International on (+44) (0)20 7687 8734 or (+44) (0)7504 543 367 or email mr@survival-international.org


Act now to help the Uncontacted Indians
Your efforts are crucial in defending the Uncontacted Tribes. Writing a letter to the Peruvian government can make a real difference.

--sample letter--

S.E. Alan Garcia
Presidente de la República del Perú
Palacio de Gobierno
Plaza de Armas
Lima 1
Peru

[Date]

Your Exellency,

I am extremely concerned about the future of uncontacted tribes in Peru. They are exceedingly vulnerable to outsiders' diseases and they make it clear they want to be left alone. They have the right to live on their lands and to remain in isolation. These rights have been recognised by international law.

I strongly urge the Peruvian government to protect uncontacted tribes by removing all loggers from their land, by stopping the entry of any other outsiders, and by prohibiting any form of natural resource extraction on their territories.

I also call on your government to set up an emergency medical plan in case of contact between the uncontacted Indians and outsiders, and conform to international law by recognising the tribes as the rightful owners of their land. At present these tribes are at huge risk and could well be wiped out.

Yours sincerely,
[your full name & address]

--end sample letter--

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copyright Survival International, 2009