Meet the Achuar Delegates | Amazon Watch
Amazon Watch

Meet the Achuar Delegates

May 3, 2010 | Campaign Update

By foot, boat, bus and plane, three Achuar indigenous leaders from the Peruvian Amazon will travel to the United States and Canada from May 1st – May 9th as part of the launch of an international campaign to demand that Canadian oil company Talisman Energy immediately cease oil operations in the Achuar’s ancestral Amazonian homeland. After years of operating in war-torn Sudan, Talisman is now engaging in exploratory drilling in the controversial block 64 of the northern Peruvian Amazon – expressly against the wishes of the Achuar people, who have expressly stated their total opposition to petrol activities in their territory.

The delegation arrived in San Francisco on May 1st and then traveled to Calgary (headquarters of Talisman Energy) between May 3rd – May 6th, where they will attend the Talisman Annual General Shareholder Meeting and meet with First Nations. Between May 6th – May 8th, the Achuar will be in Los Angeles.

The Achuar have won struggles against oil development before. After witnessing the contamination caused by oil in the neighboring Corrientes River, the Achuar have successfully resisted some of the most powerful oil companies on the planet over the last two decades: Arco, Burlington Resources and, later, Occidental Petroleum. Now, they need our help in their struggle against Talisman Energy.

Brief Delegate Biographies:

Click on the images below to download a high-resolution version
Photo Credit: Mitch Anderson / Amazon Watch

Tayujin Shuwi Peas: Traditional leader and elder from the community of Betel, on the Huasaga river. The Achuar elected Tayujin to travel so he can tell the world how the Achuar live and why their territory and customs are so important and are threatened by oil drilling.

Cesar Zuñiga Butuna: President of FENAP, the national Achuar representative organization. Cesar is the delegated voice of the Achuar people and translator for the elders. He lives with his family on the shores of the beautiful lake Siwin, just off the Pastaza river.

Pitiur Unti Saant: Elder from the community of Unkum and vice-president of the AIM, an indigenous organization representing communities on the Morona. Pitiur’s community has been directly affected by Talisman’s exploratory drilling and are already experiencing loss of fishing and hunting resources due to their presence.

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