Indigenous leaders from Peru’s Wampis Nation are in the UK to advocate against international banks’ funding of oil activities that harm their rainforest. They highlight severe environmental damage and urge lawmakers to ban such financial support. Key banks involved include HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, and Santander, which have financed Petroperu’s controversial operations. The leaders seek legal frameworks to protect their rights and environment.
Indigenous leaders from the Wampis Nation in Peru have traveled to the United Kingdom to voice concerns regarding the environmental devastation caused by oil drilling in their ancestral lands. During their visit to the House of Commons on November 21, 2024, the leaders called for a ban on international banks financing oil activities in the Amazon, which they assert are detrimental to their rainforests. Notably, banks such as HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, and Santander have been linked to the financing of Petroperu, a state-owned oil company responsible for numerous oil spills along a long pipeline traversing the region.
The delegation, consisting of prominent figures such as Pamuk Teófilo Kukush Pati and Tsanim Evaristo Wajai Asamat, highlighted the severe pollution of their fishing waters and the absence of reliable livelihoods. They remarked that, “We have been conserving our forest for over 7,000 years,” emphasizing the urgency of the situation, which has resulted in environmental and social challenges for the Wampis people. The leaders are advocating for stringent regulations on financial institutions facilitating such environmentally damaging activities and are also addressing issues like illegal logging and mining in their territory.
Their visit coincided with meetings with British officials to push for new laws that would hold UK businesses accountable for harming the environment and violating human rights, a significant demand echoed by delegations from various countries. As the Wampis seek to draw global attention to their plight, they continue to assert their rights as stewards of the land, even declaring an autonomous government in 2015 to advocate for their environmental protection, a status the Peruvian government does not recognize.
The article highlights the ongoing struggles faced by the Wampis Nation in Peru due to environmental degradation caused by oil extraction activities in the Amazon rainforest. Over the last decade, oil companies, supported by international banks, have severely impacted the indigenous peoples’ land and livelihood, leading to numerous oil spills and pollution of local waterways. The Wampis leaders’ advocacy efforts intend to address the broader implications of corporate financing on indigenous rights and environmental protection, aiming to instigate policy changes in the UK that could safeguard their ancestral territories.
In conclusion, the visit of Wampis leaders to the UK underscores the rising urgency to address the environmental and social injustices faced by indigenous peoples linked to the oil industry. By appealing to international lawmakers, the Wampis Nation not only seeks accountability from financial institutions but also advocates for comprehensive legal measures to protect the Amazon. Their actions reflect the broader struggle of indigenous communities worldwide against exploitative practices that threaten their lands, cultures, and livelihoods.
Original Source: apnews.com
