In a powerful win for the protection of the Amazon, Indigenous-led opposition, and our End Amazon Crude campaign, state-run Petroperú has failed to attract a single bid for Block 64 – a site of decades-long conflict and resistance in the northern Peruvian Amazon.
This outcome follows over two decades of steadfast advocacy and solidarity work. Since the mid-2000s, Amazon Watch has closely worked with Indigenous nations to expose the threats posed by oil expansion in Block 64 and helped successfully pressure multiple international oil companies – including Occidental Petroleum, Talisman Energy, and Geopark – to withdraw from the concession. This victory not only halts further destruction in a highly biodiverse rainforest, but also reinforces the growing movement to keep fossil fuels in the ground and defend Indigenous rights across the Amazon.
This failed auction poses a major setback to oil development in the region and keeps an estimated 55 million barrels of Amazon crude in the ground. This success is the result of decades of coordinated organizing by the Federation of Achuar Nationalities (FENAP), the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Wampís Nation (GTANW), the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Chapra Nation (GTANCH), and international campaign support from Amazon Watch and others.
“For the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Chapra Nation, Petroperú’s decision to cancel the tender for Block 64 is a great relief. However, we remain vigilant, knowing that it will likely continue seeking investors to exploit this block. For many years, we have stood alert and resisted every attempt by the Peruvian government and Petroperú to encroach on our territory. We are making a difference, and we will not stand idly by in the face of any activity that threatens our territories and our way of life.”
– Olivia Bisa Tirko, President of the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Chapra Nation
Block 64 spans over 760,000 hectares, overlaps the ancestral lands of the Achuar and Chapra nations, and crosses Wampís territory for crude transport. The Peruvian government created the concession in November 1995 without prior consultation, violating international standards such as ILO Convention 169. The convention was registered for ratification in Perú in February of 1994 and entered into force 12 months later, but the government ignored it.
In response, the three Indigenous nations took action to defend their territories. Citing decades of environmental contamination caused by oil operations in nearby Blocks 192 and 8, they publicly vowed to resist all oil development in Block 64. Over the past 30 years, their unwavering resistance has pushed out six operators, including major oil companies like Occidental Petroleum, ARCO, Talisman Energy (now Repsol), and Geopark.
In 2022, state-run Petroperú assumed control of the block after Geopark withdrew due to sustained Indigenous opposition. Petroperú amassed massive debt of over $5 billion to increase the refining capacity of its Talara refinery. This expansion, however, created pressure to source crude from Amazon oil blocks, such as Block 64, and offshore fields along the north coast – projects that local communities strongly opposed.
In response to the growing threat, the Achuar, Wampís, and Chapra nations joined forces with coastal fisherfolk impacted by offshore oil projects, forming the MarAmazonía Alliance. With Amazon Watch, they launched an international campaign targeting Petroperú’s largest lenders – including U.S. and European banks – urging them to halt financing tied to environmental destruction. The alliance also seeks to spur national debate about 50 years of unmet remediation from Perú’s fossil fuel industry and demands a just transition away from fossil fuels.
Today, the three Indigenous nations remain vigilant. With direct support, they continue organizing communities on the ground, leading assemblies, pursuing legal challenges, and building international solidarity. At the heart of their resistance lies a commitment to strengthen local, sustainable economic alternatives – an essential pillar of long-term community resilience against the threats and pressures of extractive industries.
Amazon Watch is proud to have played a key role in this struggle for nearly 25 years. We remain fully committed to standing with the Achuar, Wampís, and Chapra nations, and we urge our global community to join us. Share their story, celebrate this victory, and continue amplifying their call for justice and self-determination.
