Conservationists Take the Offensive Against Controversial Gas Project in Peru

International Groups will ask President of Inter-American Development Bank to Reject Financing for Camisea gas project in the Peruvian Amazon jungle
Environmental groups like Amazon Watch, Rainforests Action Network and others are doing a great battle against an ongoing multimillionaire gas extraction mega-project in southeastern Peru. There, vulnerable uncontacted people lived for centuries and since the works begun many have died due to new introduced diseases for which they do not have defenses.

According to Amazon Watch up to 15 Nanti children died and 50% of the other previously isolated community, the Nahua people, have already died. Regardless this well known information, the consortium led by the US Hunt Oil Co and the Argentine Pluspetrol push forward the $1.5 billion construction funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Ex-Im Bank.

Massive loans are underway on a project that clearly violates international environmental regulations. "Three of the extraction sites are inside legally recognized indigenous reserve, and the pipeline cuts through one of the pristine tropical rainforests of the Urubamba Basin, one of the most biologically diverse regions of the world", reads an Amazon Watch statement.

Stop Environmental Destruction Meeting to be held in Milan, Italy during Bank’s Summit International non-governmental organizations met with Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) President, Enrique Iglesias on Saturday to inform him with violations of Peruvian, U.S. and international law surrounding the Camisea gas project. Peruvian indigenous leaders intended to meet with Iglesias themselves, however they were denied travel visas by the Italian Embassy in Peru.

Conservationist blame on the Hunt Oil led consortium for forcing contact with isolated and uncontacted indigenous peoples and that this contact is likely resulting in the spread of contagious diseases. In addition, the Camisea Consortium has received fines for violation of Peruvian environmental law, which they refuse to pay, and the project violates US Foreign Assistance Act laws for proper environmental review of projects funded by multilateral development banks.

Hernan Etchaleco PRAVDA.Ru Argentina

Photo (Rainforest Action Network): Aerial view of the Camisea project at the Urubamba Basin in southeast Peruvian Amazon.

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