NO to the ethnocide of the Amazonian indigenous peoples

Servindi, march 27, 2017.- The Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest (AIDESEP, in Spanish), made an announcement to stop the ethnocide of the Amazonian indigenous peoples from Peru because of the Ancestral territories damage, uncontacted people vulnerability, and the indigenous health abandon.

Through a public announcement, the national representative organization from approximately 1800 indigenous communities, denounced a series of political measures that affect seriously the indigenous peoples integrity and survival.

Rejection to DL 1333

One of the most questioned is the DL 1333 that authorizes “a new insensitive technocracy (APIP - Access to Land for Priority Investment Projects) from the Ministry of Economy” to accelerate investments and “alter territorial rights”.

AIDESEP demands to repeal this decree law behind which are the projects and business on the road to Iquitos, the railroad, the road Puerto Matarani – Iñapari, the amazonian waterway, and any other “private” business or APP with public funds.

They also demand to modify the absurd Ministerial Resolution 355-MINAGRI from the Ministry of Agriculture in order to exempt community titling of "physical-mechanical" and "chemical" soil analyzes.

They show that this technical specification only favors to high payments to a group of "experts" linked to the DGAAA-MINAGRI.

Instead of that, it should be replaced by soil classification based on ocular inspection during georeferencing work

The Government unprotects to the most vulnerable

AIDESEP reaffirms the urgent need to create the Yavarí Tapíche Indigenous Reservation, a process that already longs more than 14 years of management, and the Peruvian Government insensibly pretends to leave aside in order to favor the Canadian oil company Pacific Stratus.

Likewise, they request to modify the Tubino bill, from a congressman from Fujimori´s Party, in order to exclude explicitly the construction of any “land or track” within the "multimodal connection" of the province of Purús.

The amazonian organization considers unacceptable to “rely” on supposedly “favorable interpretations” of a law when there are timber interests that will cause the ethnocide of uncontacted peoples from the region.

Abandoning indigenous people health

The AIDESEP announcement makes a dramatic calling to stop the HIV-AIDS in Awajún people convening a Summit for Awajún Life in order to agree on an effective plan against this tragedy that is 1000% more severe here than in the rest of the country.

They also request to avoid the waste of millions of dollars “in weak and bureaucratic, state and NGO actions”, but involve Awajun leadership in order to approach deeply “this social and cultural drama”.

Another demand is that the cause of contamination by mercury in Nahua and Machiguenga people who live near the Camisea gas operations, in the jungle in Cusco, must be clarify.

They also demand the release of the Nahua Health Situation Analysis (ASIS, in Spanish), that is still suspiciously withheld.

Finally, AIDESEP requires the restitution of the Indigenous Health Directorate in the Ministry of Health and be assigned an adequate budget, otherwise health inattention in indigenous peoples will aggravate, because it was deficient in itself.

Institutional support

The AIDESEP announcement carries the signs of the representatives from nine regional organizations associated in 109 indigenous federations.

They warn to different public institutions that those are obligated to intervene and solve the indicated demands that are duly supported on the human rights.

AIDESEP also calls upon artists, journalists, experts, academics, grassroots organizations and public opinion supportive and sensitive to the Amazon struggle speak up about the outlined demands and proposals.

Access to the whole announcement trough the following link:

 NO to the ethnocide of the Amazonian indigenous peoples (PDF, 3 pages)