Mobilization of Indigenous Peoples Affected by Oil Spills to Demand Compliance with Court Rulings Ordering Reparations for Damages and Health Care - Rights + Resources - Supporting Forest Tenure, Policy, and Market Reforms

Country:

Peru

Region:

Latin America

Date:

2021 - 2022

Implementor:

IDL (Legal Defense Institute)

Funding Amount:

$15,000

Details:

SRM funding supported Indigenous Peruvian communities affected by a 2014 oil spill in their ancestral territory through workshops, conversations, information gathering, and compliance monitoring. With RRI’s support, the Legal Defense Institute is working to ensure compliance with the Judicial ruling ordering the Regional Health Directorate of the Regional Government of Loreto to design, implement and finance a health plan for Indigenous communities.

For context, in 2014, 2500 barrels of oil spilled from the Norperuano Pipeline in the Cuninico ravine of Loreto (Peru). In 2015, OEFA concluded that Petroperú was responsible for the potential damage to the health of native communities because of the spill. In 2016, Cuninico’s leader participated in a public hearing of the IACHR, which ratified this ruling. In 2018, the Civil Chamber confirmed the sentence and ordered to design an emergency public health strategy to the affected communities. In January 2021 the Constitutional Court sided with the Indigenous communities, a historic victory.