At a workshop organized by ORAU, the regional indigenous federation for the Ucayali region of the Peruvian Amazon, and OIRA, the indigenous organization for the Atalaya area within the Ucayali, the leaders discussed the pending oil drilling by Repsol and its partner, US-based Burlington Resources. Repsol has the oil concessions to some 1.5 million hectares of indigenous land, mostly in Amazonian rainforest, while Burlington is the minority partner in those concessions, known as Block 57 and Block 90.

The workshop took place as a regional strike against the gas exploitation project of Camisea was underway. The strike relates to the contamination the Camisea project has brought to the region, including three spills in just one year of operation, and the lack of benefits for the region. Participants at the workshop supported the strike.

The workshop, which was co-organized by the Amazon School for Human Rights and the Environment, revealed that the vast majority of the population in the Atalaya area is not aware of the oil concessions, nor of the environmental and health dangers posed. In Block 90, the explosions used in seismic testing have already led to serious impacts, according to local residents, including decrease and even disappearance of certain species of fish, and decline of hunting. Noise, deforestation and garbage left by oil workers in the villages also affect the well-being of these communities. Prostitution, sexual abuse by oil workers and alcoholism have appeared, as well as an increase in contagious and unknown diseases. There is a report that one community resident died of suffocation when he fell in a hole in a seismic line.

Oil impacts in the Atalaya area could be as terrible as those caused by Texaco in Ecuador, where people are now dying from cancer at a rate higher than anywhere else in the country. When people don’t know about oil impacts and toxicity, they don’t oppose oil, but they also don’t take precautions to avoid contact with hydrocarbons.

–Nathalie Weemaels, environmental consultant to the Amazon School for Human Rights and Environment

Declaration (English)

ORGANIZACIÓN REGIONAL AIDESEP UCAYALI
ORAU

ORGANIZACION INDIGENA REGIONAL DE ATALAYA
OIRA

ATALAYA DECLARATION
(Unofficial English Translation)

We the undersigned traditional leaders of the Ashaninka, Asheninka, Shipibo Konibo, Nawa, Amawaka, and Yine peoples, meeting in the city of Atalaya October 10-14 2005, at the Workshop for Indigenous Leaders on social and environmental impacts of hydrocarbon exploitation in indigenous territories, facing the serious threats to our territories and sovereignty from the incursion of oil companies, declare the following:

Indigenous people have been and continue to be historically discriminated against and disfavored with regard to fundamental human rights, respect for our langauges, cultures, traditional economies, natural resources and religious practices. In addition we continue to be victims of forced relocation.

The Peruvian government, without considering our right to free, prior and informed consent authorized the entrance of oil companies in our territories.

Faced with the lack of respect for our fundamental rights by the Peruvian State and with the serious impacts already caused by the companies REPSOL and PLUSPETROL on our lives and environment, we resolve:

1. To declare an emergency in the territories of indigenous people in the regions of Ucayali and Cuzco and the province of Atalaya.
2. To say no to the entrance of the oil copmanies PLUSPETROL and REPSAL in our territories, as well as mining, logging and other transnational companies.
3. To accuse the Peruvian government of noncompliance with the following international treates: ILO Convention 169, Convention of Biological Diversity, Article 8J, and the San Jose Pact on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Signed in Atalaya, Peru October 14 2005

Declaration (Spanish)

ORGANIZACIÓN REGIONAL AIDESEP UCAYALI
ORAU

ORGANIZACION INDIGENA REGIONAL DE ATALAYA
OIRA

DECLARACION DE ATALAYA

Nosotros lideres tradicionales de los pueblos indígenas Ashaninka, Asheninka, Shipibo Konibo, Nawa, Amawaka, Yine, reunidos en la ciudad de Atalaya del 10 al 14 de Octubre del 2005, en el marco del Taller de Capacitación de Lideres Indígenas sobre los impactos ambientales y sociales de la explotación de hidrocarburos en territorios indígenas, ante los graves amenazas a nuestros territorios y soberanía por el ingreso de las empresas petroleras, manifestamos los siguientes:

Los p ueblos indígenas hemos sido y seguimos siendo pueblos históricamente discriminados y desfavorecidos en nuestros derechos fundamentales, respeto de nuestros idiomas, culturas, economías tradicionales, recursos naturales y prácticas religiosas. Además seguimos siendo victimas del desalojo forzoso (involuntario).

El gobierno peruano sin considerar nuestro derecho al consentimiento libre, previo y fundamentado autorizo el ingreso de empresas petroleras en nuestros territorios.

Frente al no respeto de nuestros derechos fundamentales por parte del Estado peruano y por los graves impactos ya causados por las compañías REPOSL y PLUS PETROL a nuestras vidas y ambiente, resolvemos:

1. Declarar en emergencia los territorios de pueblos indígenas de las regiones de Ucayali, Cuzco y la provincia de Atalaya.
2. El no ingreso de las empresas petroleras PLUS PETROL y REPSOL en nuestros territorios, así como de las empresas mineras, forestales y otras transnacionales.
3. Demandar al gobierno peruano por el incumplimiento de los siguientes tratados internacionales: Convenio 169 OIT, Convenio sobre la Diversidad Biológica Articulo 8 “J”, Pacto de San José sobre Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales.

Suscrito en Atalaya – Perú, el 14 de Octubre del 2005.