Shipibo communities in the Peruvian Amazon reject implementation of the Imiria Conservation Area for violation of their rights as indigenous peoples

Representatives of 12 Shipibo indigenous communities and neighbouring villages from the Imiria lake region in Ucayali, Peru have expressed their opposition to the Imiria Regional Conservation Area (RCA-Imiria), a protected area established by the Regional government of Ucayali. The RCA-Imiria was created in 2010 but the communities denounce the fact that it overlaps their traditional territory including the titled lands of seven communities. The communities also reject the position of the Regional government that they gave their consent for the creation of the protected area noting that the alleged consultation process carried out by the Regional government simply involved some information workshops.

As a result the communities demand that the Regional Government suspend the process of implementation of the RCA-Imiria whilst a genuine process of consultation is initiated that would respect their rights to give or withhold their free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) for any activity that affects their lands and territories. At the same time they are calling for the Ministry of the Environment to initiate a rigorous investigation in order to establish exactly how the Regional government of Ucayali claim to have signed agreements from communities approving the creation of the Reserve.

For a copy of the full declaration of Imiria click here.