Peru: two oil tankers stormed by indigenous militants
June 9, 2023
Environmental groups are becoming increasingly radical around the world. In Peru, the indigenous group Aidecobap (Indigenous Association for the Development and Preservation of Bajo Puinahua) took control of two PetroTal tankers on Tuesday June 6. The Canadian company claims that the two barges were stormed with canoes and molotov cocktails on Tuesday June 6, on a river in the Puinahua district, in the Loreto region (north-east Peru).
The first boat, flying the Brazilian flag, was empty and had a crew of six. The second, Peruvian, was carrying 40,000 barrels of oil and eight crew members. One of them is said to have been hit in the head by a spear, but his injury required only “light medical attention”, according to PetroTal. The company is denouncing a river blockade that is preventing it from exploiting the Loreto production field. The two boats are said to be guarded near a town called 7 de Julio. The company cited supporters of the Indigenous Association for the Development and Conservation of Bajo Puinahua (Aidecobap), who on their Facebook page accuse PetroTal of destroying the environment “with impunity”. The two barges are transporting crude to Brazil from PetroTal’s Loreto production field.
This is not the first action of its kind in the region. In March, indigenous activists, denouncing the environmental damage caused to their territory by the national oil company Petroperu, occupied an oil platform in the Peruvian Amazon. In November, in the Loreto region, indigenous people blocked a river to protest against the crude oil spill caused by a ruptured pipeline. In particular, they took tourists on a boat hostage. According to Reuters, the company donates 2.5% of its profits from local production to indigenous populations. The company is no stranger to clashes. In 2020, three indigenous people were killed by police during protests against the oil company’s abuses.
Peru has been hit by a series of oil spills in recent years, leading to the closure of beaches and tourist businesses, and depriving residents of their livelihoods, particularly fishing. Moreover, oil production is one of the causes of global warming, which is currently causing huge fires in Canada and severe drought in France.