Occidental Petroleum Corporation has invaded the territory of the
Candoshi people in northeastern Peru. Oxy drilled its first
exploratory oil well June 25, in spite of the group's rejection
of oil development activities on its land. Oxy continues to move
forward with exploration, even though the Candoshi have voiced
their formal objection to the project, are the traditional and
legal landholders, and will be the population most directly
impacted by Oxy's activities.
The Candoshi number some 2,000 persons and live in the Morona and
Tigre river basins of the Peruvian Amazon, holding title to only
part of the 4,000 square miles of their traditional territory.
The Candoshi have lived in relative isolation from the outside
world and maintain a rich and traditional culture, depending on
their rainforest home for their economic livelihood, social
identity, and spiritual grounding. This fragile and biologically
rich region is also habitat to many threatened and endangered
species such as the giant river otter, jaguar, and giant
anteater and contains over forty lakes, including the largest in
the Peruvian Amazon, Lago Rimachi.
Oxy did seismic prospecting in late 1993 to determine the
potential of the 2.2 million acre "Block 4," an oil concession
seven times the size of Los Angeles. Large parts of Block 4 lie
within Candoshi land, and Candoshi communities and Oxy management
agreed at that time on specific environmental measures to
minimize any negative impacts on local populations. Candoshi
leaders say Oxy did not fulfill these commitments.
In August 1994, Oxy notified the Candoshi that it would resume
exploration activities on their land. The affected communities
quickly organized a meeting, at which they unanimously voted to
reject Oxy's return to the region.
They said neither their communities nor the environment they
depend on could afford Oxy's presence, citing these critical
reasons: the company's poor credibility, the region's ecological
fragility, and the communities' dependence on river ecosystems
which would inevitably be polluted with hydrocarbons and other
toxic chemicals.
The Candoshi representative organization has denounced Oxy's
plans as a direct violation of International Labor Organization
Convention 169 Concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in
Independent Countries. Peru is a signatory of the Convention,
whose Article 15 declares:
In cases in which the State retains the ownership of mineral or
subsurface resources pertaining to lands, governments shall
consult these peoples before undertaking or permitting any
programs for the exploration or exploitation of such resources
pertaining to their lands.
The Peruvian government did not consult the Candoshi about oil
development on their territory before Oxy's previous prospecting
activities, nor has it consulted them about current exploration
plans.
The Candoshi are demanding negotiation on the social and
environmental terms of operations in Block 4. The international
community must take urgent action to help the Candoshi defend
their rights and resources before it is too late.
Juan Chavez Munoz, president of AIDESEP, the national indigenous
confederation warns: "Oil companies have already been conceded
17 million acres of indigenous lands in the Peruvian Amazon. We
can not allow indigenous peoples' voices to be quieted on this
subject again."
Occidental Petroleum Corporation is one of the world's largest
oil companies, producing oil and gas in 12 countries and
exploring in 23. Corporate assets total nearly $18 billion, with
1994 revenues reaching over $9 billion. Peru is Oxy's largest
foreign oil operation. Another Oxy concession in northeastern
Peru produces 60,500 barrels of oil a day.
What you can do
It's up to us to make Oxy's future in Peru depend on its
responsiveness to the Candoshi! A victory for Candoshi human
rights will strengthen the cause of other indigenous peoples in
Peru who are confronting corporate activities on their land.
Write to OXY, and urge it to respect the Candosi's right to
self-determination.
Sample letter:
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Dr. Ray R. Irani
Chairman, President, and CEO
Occidental Petroleum Corporation
10889 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 900244201
Fax (310) 4436922
Dear Dr. Irani:
I am writing to express my deep concern over Occidental's
unwillingness to negotiate and reach an agreement with the
Candoshi people, on whose land your Block 4 concession in Peru is
located.
The Candoshi have lived and depended on this land for centuries,
and Occidental's operations pose a serious threat to their
economic, cultural, and physical wellbeing. Like all peoples,
the Candoshi have the right to decide upon the future of their
territory, resources and culture rather than have those
decisions made for them.
I respectfully urge you to respond to the Candoshi people's
demands before advancing further on the Block 4 oil project.
Sincerely,
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> From Action Alert 111, August 1995
1995 Rainforest Action Network. Commercial reproduction
prohibited. Students, teachers, and activists may copy articles
for limited distribution.
Rainforest Action Network works to protect the Earth's
rainforests and support the rights of their inhabitants through
education, grassroots organizing, and non-violent direct action.
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