Megaprojects in the Peruvian Amazon threaten Amazon territories and violate the rights of indigenous peoples: the Flor De Ucayali case

Throughout the Amazon basin indigenous peoples are threatened by major large-scale dam, road and energy developments being planned under the controversial Inter-American Development Bank- (IDB) assisted 'Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America' (IIRSA). Yet these plans are being developed behind closed doors with little public participation - often the most recent public information dates back to 2004! This bulletin looks at alarming proposals under IIRSA that threaten Shipibo territory and indigenous peoples living in voluntary isolation in the Peruvian Amazon.

Many indigenous community territories in the Peruvian Amazon continue to be affected by the top-down plans of extractive industries (timber, oil, gas). In addition, indigenous peoples and their lands are increasingly affected by proposals for large-scale infrastructure development proposals (dams, roads, electrical interconnections, commercial ports, etc). These megaprojects are promoted by IIRSA with support from the IDB.

One of the threatened communities within Ucayali Department in Peru is the Flor de Ucayali Community. This settlement consists of families from the indigenous Shipibo Konibo people, and is a member of the Federation of Native Communities of the Ucayali River and Tributaries (FECONAU).

Flor de Ucayali extends over 21,290 hectares of community land titled with support from the national organisation AIDESEP's titling programme, located on the right margin of the Ucayali River, next to the Brazilian state of Acre. Currently the community faces serious problems: illegal coca cultivation by settlers within the community territory, superimposed oil concessions, and use of toxic substances for illegal fishing in lakes belonging to the community.

The Interoceanic Highway megaproject is part of the Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America which involves plans for the construction of roads between South American countries. The stretch from Pucallpa (Peru) to Cruzeiro do Sul (Brazil) would start in the middle of the Flor de Ucayali community land, which is the only community located on the Utukinia River basin. This situation makes the community and its lands highly vulnerable, as the majority of the neighbouring population is made up of settlers and peasants. This plan for road development poses the serious threat of facilitating the large-scale invasion of colonists and extractive industries. Additionally, deforestation for road construction may have major impacts on the Iskonahua Territorial Reserve, which has been formally recognised as a territory where indigenous people live in voluntary isolation.

Community profile The Flor de Ucayali Community is located on the Utukinia River basin (a tributary of the Ucayali), Calleria District, Coronel Portillo Province, Ucayali Region, adjacent to the Brazilian state of Acre. It was founded by the traditional leader Juan Manuel Guimaraes Pangosa who, in 1980, located an elevated area with no winter flooding within the Utukinia River basin. This community has the largest territorial extension, 21,700 hectares, within the Federation of Native Communities of the Ucayali and Tributaries (FECONAU).

Flor de Ucayali is an integrated community of a small number of families, with a population of 135 people, who grow banana, cassava and corn for consumption. They also fish every day to feed their families in their two main lakes - Manko and Lobo.

In the Utukinia River basin there are 12 communities of peasants which, together with the Flor de Ucayali community, are adjacent to the Iskonahua Territorial Reserve, where there is a group living in voluntary isolation (Sierra del Divisor). There is a total population of 5,600 inhabitants in the area. The Iskonahua population in isolation has not been calculated accurately due to their high vulnerability and the health risk that forced contact might pose.

Like other peasant communities, the Flor de Ucayali community is directly affected by the Pucallpa-Cruzeiro Do Sul stretch of the IIRSA project which, according to estimates, is over 220 km long. The road would split the community territory in two.

Appeal to the international community Facing these serious threats, the Flor de Ucayali community appeals for international solidarity to join its campaign to defend its rights and protect its ancestral forests.

Territory protection campaign The Community Assembly has tasked Robert Guimaraes with helping to develop a new campaign in defence of his native community.

In 2003 he founded the Escuela Amazónica Senen Soi, based in Pucallpa, Ucayali, which runs the Programme of Education and Training in Political Influence, Indigenous Rights and Extractive Industries, where currently he is the main academic. The programme teaches Amazon leaders indigenous rights in relation to the environment. Mr Guimaraes is also a member of the Consultative Council of the Andean Community Indigenous Peoples, where he implements policies related to the protection of traditional knowledge as part of the implementation of Article 8(j) of the Convention on Biological Diversity. For more than two decades Mr Guimaraes has been the spokesperson of the indigenous leadership against the practices of gas, oil and timber companies that have systematically destroyed the indigenous communities of the Peruvian Amazon. He has used direct action, legal strategies, political influence, campaigns against the media and independent monitoring of the oil industry in conjunction with strategies in support of indigenous rights. Since 2005 Mr Guimaraes has served as vice-president of AIDESEP, an organisation that defends the rights of 1,400 indigenous communities of the Peruvian Amazon through political influence, cultural conservation and sustainable development projects.

Workshop on megaprojects and indigenous rights The Escuela Amazónica Senen Soi carried out a workshop in the Flor de Ucayali community on 'Communities affected by IIRSA megaprojects and oil concessions in Ucayali, Peru', on 27/28 January 2010. The results of the workshop will be summarised in another bulletin in the near future.

Statement from the workshop (available in Spanish only): Resolucion del Taller sobre Megaproyecto IIRSA y Lotes Petroleros

For further information please contact Robert Guimaraes at: rgv_sh_@yahoo.com