Indigenous tribes seize facilities at Peru oil field, warn of wider uprising

Indigenous people living on Peru’s largest oil field concession have seized facilities operated by Frontera Energy.

They are demanding that the government apply an indigenous rights law before signing a new contract with the Canadian company.

Passed in 2011 the so-called prior consultation law, requires the government to seek input from indigenous people before approving any development plans that might affect them.

Tribal chiefs in Frontera’s Block 192 said the government has refused to carry out the consultation process even though it is negotiating a new contract with Frontera, whose 2-year contract is due to expire this month.

Protesters from the indigenous community had taken control of oil drums and other facilities to curb output in Block 192.

“If the government says it’ll carry out prior consultation, we’ll automatically end the protest” – Wilmer Chavez, chief of the community of Los Jardines

The same installation was hit with an occupation which began in April and ended in June. Indigenous communities had demanded US$1 million from Frontera for use of their territory.

Frontera, which produced some 7,500 barrels a day from Block 192 in July, said in a statement that it values community consent and that only the government could legally carry out prior consultation.

Amazonian tribes in Block 192 want the government to sign new commitments for the clean-up of oil pollution and for access to health care and education in the remote region before awarding Frontera a new contract.

Other Indigenous groups in the region are backing the occupation and warn there will be a wider uprising unless Peru begins proper consultations.

Nearly 25 representatives from some 120 Indigenous communities have been in Lima since Monday to talk with the government officials about the issue.

Four other chiefs, speaking to foreign media in Lima described similar demands in the 16 out of 20 villages they represent in Block 192 and vowed to stage their own protests unless prior consultation was applied.

Carlos Sandi, chief of the Corrientes River basin, told reporters that the government must fulfill its promises to clean up oil pollution that is sickening local residents.

U.S. oil company Occidental Petroleum Corp operated Block 192 for about 40 years before Argentine energy company Pluspetrol took over in 2001.

Video of occupation by El Commercio