Article content continued

We have healthy rainforest free of pollution; that’s why we don’t want oil companies to come in.

The Achuar’s ancestral lands cover about two-thirds of oil Block 64, though most communities lack formal land titles, said Petsein.

“We have healthy rainforest free of pollution; that’s why we don’t want oil companies to come in,” Petsein said. Oil pollution “is a reality in other indigenous communities, it makes people sick and destroys our way of life.”

The Achuar are asking local courts to annul the 1995 creation of Block 64, as well as last week’s approval of GeoPark’s plans for operating there. FENAP attorney Raquel Yrigoyen said both measures were illegal because the government did not consult the Achuar as required by laws protecting indigenous rights.

The government did not respond to requests for comment.

GeoPark said the focus of its project in Block 64 is between the Situche and Anaso creeks, where Shuar and Achuar native communities that are not affiliated with FENAP have supported oil exploration.

“GeoPark respects the rights of indigenous people and would not seek to develop areas where local populations are opposed to drilling activity,” the company said in a statement.

Peru is one of the region’s fastest-growing economies. But it is rife with disputes over natural resources that have derailed billions in investments and left more than a dozen dead in clashes with police in recent years.

Petroperu, which mainly transports and refines oil, has reported a dozen leaks in its Amazonian pipeline this year – a source of tension with native communities.