Outrage among indigenous groups and environmental NGOs in Peru sparked a visit by the US ambassador to Peru, Lisa Kenna, to a palm oil company. This was reported on April 6 by The Guardian.
Kenna praised Ocho Sur as an example of US-Peru ties and a leading employer in the Ucayali Amazon region of Peru. He expressed his support for it after visiting the company last week during a trip with his British, German and Norwegian counterparts to the Peruvian Amazon city of Pucallpa.
The Ambassador praised the company for refraining from deforestation and for being a leader in sustainable agricultural practices.
However, nearly two dozen indigenous federations, as well as Peruvian and international environmental NGOs, including Amazon Watch and the Environmental Investigation Agency, condemned her visit, urging her to delete the tweet and apologize to the affected indigenous population.
In a joint statement, they allege that the palm oil company operates on illegally logged land and lacks forestry and environmental permits. Furthermore, according to them, the campaign is dedicated to vilifying indigenous leaders in the media and deliberately inciting divisions among indigenous communities. The company denies all the accusations.
“The mere existence of this plantation makes a mockery of all the efforts made by the national and international community for the conservation and sustainable development of the Amazon and respect for the rights of indigenous peoples”says the statement.
In addition, the indigenous people believe that the ambassador annulled the decisions of the Peruvian authorities and publicized a company that is often accused of violating human rights and Peruvian laws.
The indigenous community of Santa Clara de Uchuña claims that the 7,000 hectares of land occupied by Ocho Sur are part of their ancestral territory. They claim it was usurped through a complex and illegal land trade scheme involving the Peruvian Ministry of Agriculture and the Department of Agriculture of the Ucayali regional government.
Source: Rossa Primavera
I am Michael Melvin, an experienced news writer with a passion for uncovering stories and bringing them to the public. I have been working in the news industry for over five years now, and my work has been published on multiple websites. As an author at 24 News Reporters, I cover world section of current events stories that are both informative and captivating to read.