A “reactivation” without evaluating costs and risks leaves the recognition of indigenous rights only on paper

By: Jorge Pérez, president of the indigenous organization AIDESEP

Road connectivity continues to be one of the main strategies of the State to promote the closing of gaps, boost the economy and facilitate access to public services. However, in the Amazon, the results obtained with it distance themselves from these objectives and generate serious impacts that the State has not been able to assume.

Within the framework of the so-called “economic reactivation”, the boost to connectivity is sustained in the National Infrastructure Plan for Competitiveness and the promotion of road projects in the Amazon, such as the Bolognesi – Puerto Breu highway or the Cusco Madre de God, they can benefit illegal activities and threaten the territories of our communities.

Until now, policies that respond to the true needs of our peoples have not been prioritized, promoting greater and better access to public services with strategies that adapt to the Amazonian environment, sustainable local development, territorial management, protection of our environmental defenders, the remediation of contaminated ecosystems, and a continuous and intercultural dialogue with the public sector at the three levels of Government.

The lack of an Amazonian vision of the transportation sector has stalled processes for respecting the territory and collective rights of indigenous peoples, including: (i) guidelines for sustainable, modern, safe river transportation with an indigenous focus; (ii) compliance with the ruling that eliminates the exception of prior consultation of public services, such as highways, which to date the Judiciary has pending publication in a national newspaper; (iii) implementation of prior consultation for the Bellavista-Mazán highway project, a project that has been running since 2015; and (iv) the improvement of the participation process in the Transportation sector, which is currently based on a regulation from more than 15 years ago and which does not recognize collective rights.

These absences show a limited political will and technical capacity to promote growth that leads to sustainable development and goes hand in hand with respect for the rights of indigenous peoples; rights recognized internationally and by the Peruvian State.

Regarding pending issues for the sustainable development of the Amazon, we highlight that indigenous peoples must participate with their own voice in the process of developing instruments such as the Multisectoral Plan for the Promotion of the Sustainable Amazon (according to Law No. 30977) and of the Guide to guide the development of road infrastructure (RM N ° 170-2021-MINAM), in such a way that they include our needs, vision and contributions.

Likewise, it is necessary for the Government to consolidate the Amazonian indigenous agenda at the national level, incorporating our proposals, such as the 2030 Sacred Basins Bioregional Plan, and to respond to the demands of our indigenous brothers affected by irresponsible oil activities.

We must be aware that the Amazon is presenting worrying changes despite our efforts as indigenous peoples to protect it. Today more than ever the presence of the Peruvian State is needed for joint action with indigenous peoples in the defense of the Amazon, in which environmental crimes are increasing, intensifying the risks for our indigenous environmental defenders and for sustainable development.

[Publirreportaje]