Indigenous Movement of the Shipibo-Konibo People of Ucayali Responds to Palm Oil Company Ocho Sur’s Delegitimisation Campaign

A press release was also read out, expressing the position of the Indigenous movement in relation to the environmental and social damage and abuses committed against the community of Santa Clara de Uchunya. It was recalled how the company Ocho Sur operates on plantations that deforested thousands of hectares, with the same investors as its predecessor Plantaciones de Pucallpa. Furthermore, Ocho Sur has tried to divide and weaken the social fabric of the communities by violating their self-determination. This company has a long track record that includes ongoing lawsuits for the mistreatment of its workers and the dispossession caused by oil palm plantations.

 

Carlos Hoyos, president of the Santa Clara de Uchunya community, emphasised the importance of land for Indigenous communities. "As Indigenous people we have followed this process of struggle. For us the most important thing is the land because we are going to have it for life. The rich man thinks of the economy, but we think with the land to leave a future for our children and a good life for our family (...) For us it is a source of pride to have the land, not to destroy it, but to take care of it. Not like Ocho Sur did, destroying more than seven thousand hectares (...) ", he said.

 

He also pointed out that between 2021 and 2022 the company's presence in Santa Clara de Uchunya has been very strong, trying to buy the conscience of community members, creating a group that defends the interests of the company. And that it was thanks to the process of struggle with the accompaniment of the Indigenous organisations that Uchunya has achieved 1544 hectares in collective land title extension.

Regarding the position of the San Francisco community in relation to the company, the community leader said:

 

"In San Francisco, brothers and sisters, we have no agreement with the company Ocho Sur (...) Any company that wants to reforest is welcome, but every partnership has to be based an agreement. To reach an agreement there has to be prior consultation, and in San Francisco there has been no prior consultation. There is going to be a big assembly to say to Ocho Sur, “No, that’s enough, gentlemen,”" - Richard Ochavano, chief of the San Francisco de Yarinacocha community.

 

Hoyos also spoke about the Indigenous movement's position on private investment:

 

"It really saddens us that there are people who believe that the only way out of poverty is through oil palm. Our position of struggle will continue. We reject the attitude of the transnational company. We are not against private investment, we applaud investment, but we want them to invest without trampling on rights. They will not silence us while we are still alive. We have to pay with blood for the State to listen to us".

On the disinformation campaign, he said, "There is a web page that Ocho Sur has created saying that it is from Santa Clara de Uchunya, but this is not real: they are trying to manipulate the community. They want to use any kind of mechanism to divide".

 

Sandro López, former head of the Puerto Firmeza community, stressed that his community has an agreement not to allow oil palm plantations:

 

"On 15 June 2022 in an assembly unanimously, we categorically rejected the entry of Ocho Sur into the community (...) We do not need to plant oil palm to ensure our food. We guarantee food security for our children. We are very strong against the transnational company that wants to enter the community".

 

Linda Vigo, lawyer of FECONAU, mentioned that the struggle of the communities is for the defence of the territory and the environment, of life, and warned that the press should stick to the truth of what is happening in the region of Ucayali.

Finally, Álvaro Másquez of the Instituto de Defensa Legal mentioned in relation to the questioned visit by the US Ambassador to Peru to the plantations of Ocho Sur:

 

"...In a space in which there is talk of the fight against deforestation, protection of Indigenous peoples, and measures so that leaders are not assassinated, she decided to withdraw, take transport, and go to the Tibecocha estate. These statements were made in a tweet, in which she celebrated US-Peruvian relations because there is a US company that does not deforest. As a result, there was unanimous rejection from Indigenous and civil society organisations. The first courageous response came from AIDESEP, ORAU, FECONAU and Santa Clara de Uchunya in a strong statement repudiating the visit as a cover for human rights violations. Later, we also had a response from civil society".

 

With this press conference, the united and strengthened Ucayali Indigenous movement hopes to continue to confront the smear and disinformation campaign that Ocho Sur is waging against the native communities in order to defend its business interests.

Read the statement in English or Spanish

You can also find the live broadcast of the press conference here.