Peru Set to Renege on Amazon Protection
B. McPherson The greed for oil and gas has the Peruvian government breaking promises to never explore for gas in the Amazon Reserve. “The reserve is the territory of several vulnerable uncontacted tribes, and a crucial buffer zone for the Manu National Park, listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for having a biological diversity that ‘exceeds any other place on Earth.’” Survival International The original exploration for oil in the region was by Shell Oil who cut exploration roads allowing loggers into the region that hosts uncontacted tribes. The result for the people contacted, was death in huge numbers. Some from physical abuse but many, many more from disease. Shell pulled out of the Camisea region which had no oil but has big gas deposits. Peru pledged to leave the reserve as a sanctuary for the uncontacted people, but now has designated a block of land in the reserve for exploration. In an ironic twist, they have named the block Fitzcarrald. Fitzcarrald w...