Washington, DC – The Argentinean energy giant, Pluspetrol and its partners arrived in Washington this week to meet with ExIm Bank of the United States to drum up financing for its Camisea gas project and pipelines in Peru. Their visit was marked by a wave of denouncements from environmental groups who declared the project “the most egregious energy project in the Amazon today.” Critics are urging ExIm Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank to reject the company’s request for financing on the grounds that the project will lead to the destruction of pristine tropical rainforests and endanger uncontacted and isolated indigenous populations.
In attempt to neutralize its critics, Pluspetrol sought meetings to present its “green face” in California and Washington with environmental and human rights groups. However, not one California NGO met with Pluspetrol and nearly all of the DC groups roundly rejected meetings given the consortia’s current practices and dirty dealings in Peru.
Located deep in the Lower Urubamba region of the Peruvian Amazon, the project area is home to several groups of uncontacted and isolated indigenous peoples. The $2.7 billion project would affect indigenous reserves and protected areas of global ecological significance described in 1998 by the IUCN as “the last place on earth” to drill for fossil fuels. Groups are particularly opposed to the project given that 75 percent of the gas field is located inside the Nahua-Kugapakori Reserve, ironically established to protect isolated and uncontacted indigenous populations.
The financially troubled Pluspetrol in partnership with Houston-based Hunt Oil and a ragtag consortium of small and inexperienced energy players is forging ahead with its operations without any safeguards or independent or government oversight. Having suffered heavy losses in the Argentine economic crisis, Pluspetrol will have great difficulties securing private financing without first getting government backed loans.
“This project violates every environmental and social standard and should be rejected. Our tax dollars should not be subsidizing large scale forest destruction and ethnocide,” said Atossa Soltani, director of Amazon Watch.
Amazon Watch, National Wildlife Federation, Friends of the Earth, Rainforest Action Network, Pacific Environment and the Amazon Alliance all demanded the suspension of the Camisea project from the Nahua-Kugapakori Reserve. NGOs point to Pluspetrol’s violations of internationally recognized indigenous rights by forcibly contacting groups living in voluntary isolation. Knowing the risks of introducing fatal diseases, Pluspetrol sends search parties into the remote forest to track down uncontacted peoples. In the 1980’s, 50 percent of one indigenous group- the Nahua – died from illnesses introduced by workers when Shell Oil was exploring for oil and gas in the area.
Pluspetrol’s questionable dealings with isolated communities was documented in and audio recording of an unannounced encounter with the isolated Nahua community in April. The Peruvian advocacy NGO Shinai Serjali publicly released their audio recording of this meeting available on www.serjali.org.
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Critics doubt Pluspetrol’s ability to manage the huge environmental and social risks surrounding the Camisea project and point to the company’s appalling track record in oil production blocks known as 1-AB and 8-X in the Northeastern Peruvian Amazon. A history of major oil spills, toxic contamination and community health problems surrounds Pluspetrol’s Peruvian operations.
