Statement: Wampis Nation Faces Massive Illegal Mining Invasion and Attack

Originally published in Spanish by the Wampis Nation on 16 February 2024

Download the statement in Spanish here

The Autonomous Territorial Government of the Wampis Nation in northern Peru have issued an urgent statement calling on the Peruvian State to fulfil its duties to protect the Amazon and the Wampis Nation from the aggressive expansion of mining and the violence of illegal mafias in their territory.

Statement issued by the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Wampis Nation

WAMPIS NATION FACES MASSIVE ILLEGAL MINING INVASION AND ATTACK!

More than 25 dredgers multiply the conflict and chaos on the border. We demand the State to fulfil its functions: the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM), the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM), the Ministry of the Interior (MININTER), the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), the Amazonas Regional Government (GOREA), and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE).

If there is violence and victims, it is the mining bosses who are responsible.

The Summits and Assemblies of the Wampis Nation have resolved that our "development" is the Tarimat Pujut (Full Life) and that we are a "MINING-FREE TERRITORY" under the protection of article seven of ILO Convention 169. In compliance with this mandate, on 16 February, women and men from Wampis communities apprehended seven dredgers in the community of Villa Gonzalo (on the Santiago River) and their bosses are in the communal jail. In the area of Onanga, five mining dredgers have disembarked with armed personnel and a social confrontation is feared. In addition, many more dredgers have passed our night watch controls towards the upper Santiago river.

We demand that the police do their duty and take back the seven jailed bosses; withdraw the five dredgers from Onanga for being illegal; search for the other dredgers in the upper Santiago. Investigate the presence of criminals from Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru, creating social chaos on the border with Ecuador. Investigate the responsibility of Mr. Gustavo Becerra, a trader from La Poza with antecedents stretching back several years, who was transporting these illegal actors. The Public Prosecutor's Office should investigate Becerra and who else is involved in the transport, financing, organisation and instigation of this large-scale criminal mining operation. We hold them responsible if there are victims due to this illegal invasion. The Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM), the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM), the Ministry of Interior (MININTER), the Regional Government of Amazonas (GOREA) must fulfil their duties, under sanction of their functional responsibilities. They have been notified several times, but no concrete actions have been taken in defence of the Amazon and the Wampis, threatened by toxic mining and the violence of illegal mafias.

Isn't the hell of Madre de Dios enough for the State? Is the State so incapable, weak, impotent, indolent, indifferent or perhaps complicit in this disaster?

If the State fails, then the living society of the country has to act; for which we Wampis will defend ourselves with all our energies. And we demand the solidarity of: the Autonomous Territorial Governments, the sister Indigenous organisations, at national (AIDESEP) and international level (COICA); as well as the youth, women's and environmental organisations; the Bishop of Amazonas and the Episcopal Conference.

We call on the media in solidarity to contact us, to inform about this very serious social conflict and to be present in our territory.

THE WAMPIS NATION IS A TERRITORY FREE OF MINING!

Soledad, 16 February 2024

For contact write to: gtawampis@gmail.com

Download a PDF of statement below