Cardinal Pedro Barreto on the Moral Responsibility to Protect Indigenous Peoples and Forest Communities in Peru

Three weeks ago, IRI Peru called for an urgent dialogue with indigenous leaders, religious leaders and national authorities to address the grave threats facing indigenous peoples in the country. In response, the Minister of Justice, Eduardo Vega, presented the DS N° 004- 2021-JUS, “Intersectoral Mechanism for the protection of human rights defenders”. This first of its kind Supreme Decree commits to work across eight different ministries to strengthen protections for indigenous peoples and environmental defenders.

IRI Peru then called for and accompanied a meeting attended by the Ministers of the Interior, Environment and Culture, as well as the presidents of indigenous organizations including AIDESEP, FENACOCA, FECONAU and ORAU. The meeting produced a commitment to initiate an emergency roundtable discussion on environmental defenders in the city of Pucallpa, Ucayali, which was held on May 14^th with the presence of 12 government officials (including the Minister of Justice, Minister of Interior, Minister of Environment and Minister of Women and Vulnerable Populations), 12 indigenous leaders, presidents of indigenous organizations and IRI Ucayali representatives. The Bishop of Pucallpa, Monsignor Martin Quijano, presented the Minister of Justice with an IRI Peru statement titled, “Declaration for Amazonian Indigenous Security” which calls for six security measures to be adopted by the Peruvian government.

Read Cardinal Barreto’s opinion column below, in which he highlights the six measures and the urgency of their implementation:

Translation Barreto Op-Ed

Peace and Dignity for the Amazon, by Pedro Barreto, S.J.
“During the pandemic, forest clearing continued at an alarming rate.”
Lima, May 27, 2021

“Today, indigenous peoples are not only clamoring for justice for their dead, but also for the end of an indolent State and for protection and guarantees to live with dignity.” (Illustration: Giovanni Tazza)

During the pandemic, logging continued at an alarming rate, more than 190,000 hectares were deforested, and seven indigenous leaders were cruelly murdered for defending the environment and their territories. All of them repeatedly denounced the threats they received from land traffickers, human traffickers, drug traffickers and other mafias linked to illegal logging and mining. Today, the indigenous peoples are not only demanding justice for their dead, but also the end of an indolent State and the protection and guarantees to live with dignity.

Three weeks ago, the Interfaith Rainforest Initiative called for an urgent dialogue with indigenous leaders, religious leaders and national authorities to address the serious situations that our indigenous brothers and sisters face every day. In response to these very serious problems, the Minister of Justice, Eduardo Vega, presented the DS N° 004-2021-JUS, “Intersectoral Mechanism for the protection of human rights defenders”, which would be the first stone in this construction of peace for the Amazon and the indigenous peoples.

The faith communities convened by IRI Peru welcome and make our own the clamor of the indigenous peoples and leaders to reiterate the request that many other voices have already demanded from science and civil society: immediate and articulated actions are urgently needed at all levels to defend life in the Amazon. For this reason, it is necessary that the Peruvian government adopt and maintain the six measures set out in the Declaration for Amazonian Indigenous Security that we presented in the dialogue in Pucallpa on May 14 between ministers, regional authorities and indigenous peoples.

The first is to increase protection measures for environmental defenders and indigenous peoples working to protect the forests, guaranteeing the financing and execution of the recently presented decree. Second, that efforts be redoubled to secure the rights and territories of indigenous peoples, recognizing that security of land tenure is a necessary condition for improving the economy and quality of life of Amazonian communities.

As a third measure we ask that the government work more decisively to address illegal logging and deforestation as a matter of national security, recognizing that standing forests and a healthy Amazon are essential to the fight against climate change, sustainable development, water and food security, and health resilience. Fourth, that measures be taken to ensure the free, prior and informed consent of indigenous peoples on any and all projects that directly or indirectly affect their territories and their right to life, health and a healthy environment.

The fifth point is to increase government efforts to combat organized crime and drug trafficking in the lands and territories of indigenous peoples, as well as land trafficking and illegal mining. And finally, as a sixth measure, that a permanent working group composed of indigenous organizations, faith communities, civil society and authorities be established to monitor the security of indigenous peoples and forests.

This Declaration reminds us and invites us to live one of the dreams that Pope Francis exhorted in “Dear Amazon”: “I dream of an Amazon that fights for the rights of the poorest, of the original peoples, of the last ones, where their voice is heard and their dignity is promoted”.