Solidarity Statement: We reject acts of criminalisation against the indigenous community of Puerto Franco and its legal defence

The undersigned organisations publicly denounce the worrying criminalisation of the struggle of the Kichwa people in the region of San Martin, Peru, to reclaim their territorial rights in the face of exclusionary conservation projects that have been imposed on their territories without their consent. 

In this specific case, the Peruvian government has taken steps to criminalise two human rights and environmental defenders linked to this emblematic struggle: Henry Fasabi, an authority of the Indigenous Kichwa Community of Puerto Franco, and the lawyer Cristina Gavancho, who represents the community, as well as other base communities affiliated with the Kichwa federations of San Martin in various legal cases brought to defend their ancestral territory. 

Both have been arbitrarily investigated by the Public Prosecutor's Office, specifically the Specialised Provincial Prosecutor's Office for Environmental Matters of San Martín, Moyobamba, for the alleged crime of "obstruction of proceedings", without there being any factual or legal elements to support this.

We are alarmed that this persecution may be occurring in retaliation for the legal actions that the community and its technical defence have undertaken to assert their territorial rights in relation to the Cordillera Azul National Park (PNCAZ), imposed without consultation or their free, prior, and informed consent and which violates their fundamental rights.

The criminal investigation stems from a criminal complaint filed by PNCAZ leadership for alleged deforestation in an area of the Piquiyacu sector, in the park's buffer zone, which overlaps with Puerto Franco’s ancestral territory. The buffer zone is not within the PNCAZ’s strict protection area, so the community's customary activities and uses are permitted. 

As a result of this complaint, the Public Prosecutor's Office attempted to carry out visual inspections on 16 November 2023 and 25 April 2024. On both occasions, and in their legitimate right to control their territory, the community assembly decided to deny access to the authorities who came to verify. During these exchanges, the head of the community asked that these proceedings be rescheduled following an agreement with the assembly, and on a date when their legal and technical advisors could participate. However, far from respecting this decision, the Public Prosecutor's Office responded with a criminal complaint, opening a preliminary investigation against apu Henry Fasabi and the community's lawyer on 17 July 2024.

Even more worrying is that on 28 May, the Prosecutor's Office formalised the preparatory investigation without having collected testimonial evidence from the persons charged, or from the public officials present at the events. This omission violates fundamental principles of due process since the preliminary stage of an investigation is precisely when evidence is collected and assessed to determine whether it is appropriate to proceed with a criminal charge. 

We are also concerned that, for years, Kichwa communities such as the one in Puerto Franco have been denouncing deforestation in their territory with the support of their lawyer, but these have not been diligently investigated and many have been closed. For this reason, the community is dismayed that when PNCAZ leadership files complaints against deforestation, they are investigated. The way in which the Public Prosecutor's Office decided to formalise a criminal investigation for alleged “obstruction” against environmental defenders with a long history of denouncing deforestation in the same territory before the same prosecutor's office is also alarming. We wonder if the PNCAZ, a park that covers four regions of the country and whose buffer zone covers 23,000 km² and is inhabited by more than 300,000 people in more than 443 population centres and communities, monitors, and intends to punish all these human settlements as diligently or whether this is an isolated attack against Puerto Franco in retaliation for their bravery in claiming usurped territorial rights.

This is not an isolated case. In recent years, Peru has experienced a serious rollback in human rights, with the approval of regressive norms and the advance of official discourses that promote the criminalisation and stigmatisation of those who defend their territory, the environment and the rights of indigenous peoples.

We therefore demand that the Public Prosecutor's Office immediately close this investigation, which has no legal basis, and respect the fundamental rights of apu Henry Fasabi, the lawyer Cristina Gavancho and the entire Indigenous Community of Puerto Franco. We also call on civil society, international organisations and citizens in general to be vigilant in the face of this new attack against those who defend the rights of indigenous peoples and their territorial struggles for eco-social justice. In a full democracy, defending the rights of vulnerable populations will never be a crime.

 

Tarapoto, 16 June 2025

 

Organisations

1. Acción Ecológica
2. African Resources Watch (AFREWATCH) / AfreWatch International
3. Asegis Community Network
4. Asociación Interamericana para la Defensa del Ambiente (AIDA)
5. Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana (AIDESEP)
6. Asociación pro Derechos Humanos
7. Asociación de Comuneros Cruz Blanca Piura
8. Benet Mosop Community Association (BMCA)
9. Colectivo Guardianes y Defensores de los Bosques Secos Guadalupes Zapata Sosa, Comunidad de Catacaos
10. Colegio de Sociólogos de Lima y Callao
11. Comisión de Defensa de la Comunidad de Catacaos Piura
12. Comisión de Derechos Humanos de Pucallpa - CODEH Pucallpa
13. Comunidad Campesina Muchik Santa Catalina de Chongoyape
14. Concejo Shipibo Conibo Xetebo – Coshicox
15. Consejo Étnico de los Pueblos Kichwa de la Amazonia (CEPKA)
16. CooperAcción
17. Coordinadora de Desarrollo y Defensa de los Pueblos Indígenas de la región San Martín (CODEPISAM)
18. Corporate Justice Coalition
19. Derecho Animal en Perú (DAP)
20. Derechos Humanos Sin Fronteras (DHSF)
21. Derechos Humanos y Medio Ambiente (DHUMA)
22. Earth Law Center (ELC)
23. European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights
24. FAPI - Federación por la Autodeterminación de los Pueblos Indígena, Paraguay
25. Federación de Comunidades Nativas de Ucayali y Afluentes (FECONAU)
26. Federación de Mujeres Kukama del Samiria y Marañón "Huaynakana Kamatahuara Kana"
27. Federación de Pueblos Indígenas Kechwas del Bajo Huallaga San Martín (FEPIKBHSAM)
28. Federación de Pueblos Indígenas Kechua Chazuta Amazonas (FEPIKECHA)
29. Forest Peoples Programme (FPP)
30. Frente de Defensa de Lambayeque (FEDEL)
31. Frente de Defensa Salvemos Chaparri
32. Fundación Ecuménica para el Desarrollo y la Paz (FEDEPAZ)
33. Front Line Defenders
34. Gobierno Territorial Autónomo Awajún (GTAA)
35. Gobierno Territorial Autónomo de la Nación Ese Eja, región Madre de Dios
36. Gobierno Territorial Autonomo de la Nación Wampís
37. Instituto de Defensa Legal (IDL)
38. Instituto de Derecho, Participación Social y Medio Ambiente (IDEPAM)
39. Junta Administradora del Servicio de Agua Potable de los Pueblos: Pueblo Nuevo Santa Rosa, Cristo Viene, Jesús de Nazareth, Nuevo Eleuterio Cisneros, San Martín, Túpac Amaru I, II y III, y Pueblos Vecinos del km 980 de la Comunidad San Juan Bautista de Catacao
40. Koibatek Ogiek Women and Youth Network
41. Lawyers’ Association for Human Rights of Nepalese Indigenous Peoples (LAHURNIP)
42. League of Volunteers Sacrifices for the Defense Human Rights and Environment (LISVDHE)
43. National Fisheries Solidarity Movement, Sri Lanka
44. Organización Apurimeña “Jóvenes a la Obra”
45. Organización de Desarrollo de las Comunidades Fronterizas del Cenepa (ODECOFROC)
46. Org. Juvenil - Jóvenes del Milenio Cajamarca
47. Pachamama Alliance Perú
48. Pedagogías Interculturales de la Oralidad (CPIO)
49. Peru Support Group
50. Proyecto sobre Organización, Desarrollo, Educación e Investigación (PODER)
51. Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK)
52. Red de Mujeres Saramanta Warmikuna - Ecuador
53. Rettet den Regenwald
54. Rondas Campesinas de la Comunidad Campesina San Andrés de Negritos
55. Salva la Selva
56. Sengwer Embobut CBO (SEECBO)
57. Size of Wales
58. SOMO - Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations
59. The Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI)
60. Turkana Indigenous People Action for Development (TIPD)

 

Individuals

1. Abner Ancón Rodriguez, President, Regional Organisation of the Indigenous Guard of the Shipibo People
2. Adán Junior Cassia Córdova
3. Alex Valera Vasquez, Regional Organisation of the Indigenous Guard of the Shipibo People
4. Alexis Gabriel Revollé Tercero
5. Alvaro Másquez Salvador, Lawyer
6. Ana Leyva
7. Belmer Cornejo Limas, COSHICOX
8. Benicio Inga Sandoval
9. Bernabe Ventura Urquia, Rapporteur, COSHICOX
10. Bersi Girela Castro Romaina, Legal Assistant, COSHICOX
11. Briggitte Luz Jara Quispe
12. Brudit Apagüeño Cenepo, President of Sinchi Warmikuna
13. Bryan Cruz Sanchez, Legal Assistant, COSHICOX
14. Carlos Alberto Rodriguez Huambachano
15. Carmen Germán Palacios Seoane
16. Chemutai David, Benet Mosop Community Association (BMCA)
17. Claudia Romero Herrera, Lawyer
18. Cristiam Rusel Vargas Ortega, Lawyer
19. César Bazán Seminario
20. Dante Manuel Sejekam Espejo, President of ODECOFROC
21. David Andrés Mayorga De La Cuba, Lawyer
22. David Velazco Rondón
23. Debora Bardales Guimarai, Treasurer, Regional Organisation of the Indigenous Guard of the Shipibo People
24. Dolly Ramos Azahuanche
25. Efer Silvano Soria, Director, FECONAU
26. Elmer Canayo Rengifo, Regional Organisation of the Indigenous Guard of the Shipibo People
27. Enma Tereza Huaman Chulluncuy, Researcher
28. Esther Serrano Chirinos, Legal Assistant, FECOANU
29. Federico Tonín, Lawyer
30. Freddy Guimaraes Rodríguez, Director, FECONAU
31. Gabriel Salazar Borja
32. Gil Inoach Shawit, Pamuk of the Awajún Autonomous Territorial Government
33. Graciela Karina Reategui Mori, President, FECONAU
34. Helio Néstor Cruz Chuchullo
35. Isaac Aarón de Santiago Peña Lobato
36. Janes Percy Cruz Laulate, Secretary of Minutes and Archives, COSHICOX
37. Javier La Rosa Calle
38. Javier Rodolfo Jahncke Benavente
39. Javier Ruiz
40. Jhefferson Paul Hernández Balcázar
41. Jorge Canayo García Canayo, First Vice-President, COSHICOX
42. José Ronald García Mahua, Director, FECONAU
43. José Bayardo Chata Pacoricona, Lawyer
44. José Illariytaki Álvarez Bravo, Secretary for Human Rights, FREDELAVI
45. José Manuel Alcántara Mondragón, Regional Directorate for Youth of the Millennium Cajamarca
46. Judy Kipkenda
47. Julio César Mejía Tapia
48. Kelly Sabrina Valera Silva, Vice-President, Regional Organisation of the Indigenous Guard of the Shipibo People
49. Lady Diana Vel Mahua, Assistant, Coshicox
50. Lara Domínguez, Lawyer
51. Ledvir Pável Labán Martínez
52. Ligia Alvarado Salas
53. Liliana Noriega Rodríguez, Director, FECONAU
54. Linda Carol Vigo Escalante, Lawyer of CODEH Pucallpa, FECONAU and COSHICOX
55. Lisseth Patricia Vega Lázaro
56. Dr. Liz Alden Wily, International Land and Resource Tenure Specialist
57. Lizardo Cauper Pezo, President, COSHICOX
58. Luis Alberto Inga Sandoval, President of the Catacaos Community Defence Commission, Piura
59. Majed Ulises Velásquez Véliz
60. Manuel Javier Girón Vilcherrez
61. Maozya Murray, Freelance Journalist and MSc. Student in Environment and Development
62. Marina Luna Grandez, Member of Aniti Shobo
63. Marisol García Apagüeño, President of FEPIKECHA
64. Maritza Quispe Mamani, Lawyer
65. Maritza Rodríguez Huarayo
66. Matut Micaela Impi Ismiño, Waisam of the Autonomous Territorial Awajún Government
67. Matías Pérez Ojeda del Arco
68. Milagros Tatiana Chávez Hinostroza
69. Monika Śledziona
70. Nakabuye Hilda Flavia Hilda Flavia, Climate and Human Rights Activist
71. Nancy Gongales Bardales DNI N° 408585401, Women's Secretary, COSHICOX
72. Nicole Paladines Sandoval
73. Paulina Quispe Castillo
74. Rocio Roxana Trujillo Solis, Lawyer, AIDESEP
75. Rodrigo Lazo Landivar, University of Massachusetts
76. Roel Ronal Huillca Chunga, Lawyer, Comunidad Campesina de Quisini, Canchis/Cusco.
77. Rolando Escobar Chavez, Vice-President, FECONAU
78. Romario Vargas Chacón, Lawyer, FECONAU
79. Rusber Abimelec Rucoba Perez, Secretary, Regional Organisation of the Indigenous Guard of the Shipibo People
80. Sadith Lomas Sinuiri, Second Vice-President, COSHICOX
81. Santos Sandoval Sullon, Community member of the Catacaos Community, Member of Women Entrepreneurs of the Almirante Grau Cura Mori Dry Forest.
82. Stefania Carrer, Lawyer
83. Tom Younger
84. Valentina Cirelli
85. Yesho Alex, Benet Mosop Community Association (BMCA)