Lima, Peru – In a statement issued today, the Peruvian organization Racimos de Ungurahui applauded Occidental Petroleum’s recent decision to not enter Achuar territory without the expressed permission from these communities. During a meeting on March 9th in their Los Angeles headquarter, the oil company Occidental Petroleum (Oxy) announced its position to not operate in indigenous territories where they do not have consent to explore and exploit for oil.
In the meeting with Racimos de Ungurahui and the U.S. group Amazon Watch, the Vice-president of External Relations at Oxy, Larry Meriage, declared that under the company’s new human rights policy, Oxy will respect the right of indigenous communities to be consulted about hydrocarbon activities in their lands, including the right of refusal.
The indigenous federations ATI and ORACH, representing the majority of Achuar indigenous communities in northern Peru, hope that the company will take this commitment very seriously and from now on abide by the Achuars’ decision to not allow Oxy to operate in their native lands.
“This policy, if it is met, will set a great precedent for other companies to follow and operate in strict adherence to national and international laws like ILO Convention 169,” said Lily la Torre, director of Racimos de Ungurahui and attorney for the indigenous Achuar involved in oil blocks where Oxy is the concessionary.
Occidental has hydrocarbon contracts in force in blocks 101 (1,839,570 acres) and 64 (2,356,922 acres) in the northern jungle of the country where the Achuar indigenous peoples live. The Achuar maintain total opposition to any kind of petroleum activity in their lands.
“The Achuar have seen the devastating effects to the environment and the illnesses and malnutrition that plague their indigenous brothers in the Rio Corrientes, where Oxy operated for thirty years. For this reason they want neither Oxy nor any other oil company in their territories,” expressed Lily la Torre.
In addition to blocks 101 and 64, Oxy also has an existing contract in block 103 in the central jungle of the country.
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