On Sunday, September 6, a new attack targeted Olivia Bisa Tirko, president of the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Chapra Nation, while she traveled with her family in Loreto, Peru.
According to the Chapra Nation’s report, a motorcycle deliberately blocked the path of the vehicle carrying Olivia, her husband, her mother-in-law, and their two children. The driver had to make an emergency maneuver to avoid plunging down a ravine. The motorcycle’s occupants then followed the family to the community of Angamos, where they continued to intimidate Olivia.
This latest incident follows years of threats and harassment against Olivia. As president of her nation, she has publicly denounced the effects of oil spills, logging, and other illegal activities. She has also become one of the leading Indigenous voices opposing oil expansion into Indigenous territories in the Peruvian Amazon.
The authorities’ initial response also raises deep concerns. According to the Chapra Nation, local police initially refused to accept the complaint. The Chapra Nation subsequently reported the case to the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Human rights organizations and Senator Ruth Luque have called on the Peruvian government to implement urgent and effective measures to protect Olivia and her family.
Since learning about the situation, Amazon Watch has worked closely with the Chapra Nation and allied organizations, including through support from the Amazon Defenders Fund, to support Olivia and help ensure that she and her children can remain in a safe location. The Chapra Nation has already brought the complaint to the attention of Peruvian authorities and clearly demanded that they activate and strengthen the appropriate protection measures.
We continue to monitor her situation closely in coordination with organizations allied with the Chapra Nation. Olivia and her family should not have to leave their daily lives behind simply because she defends her territory. The Peruvian government has a responsibility to guarantee her safety, investigate what happened, and identify those responsible.
