Remediation at km 24 of the North Peruvian Pipeline paralized by group of inhabitants of the Nueva Esperanza native community

A group of people from the Nueva Esperanza native community, in the Urarinas district, Loreto region, has paralyzed the clean-up and remediation works at kilometer 24 of the North Peruvian Pipeline (ONP), where on October 25 there was an intentional cut to the pipeline, causing a spill of oil, which was immediately contained with industrial barriers.

Approximately 50 people, led by the Apu of the area, Rodrigo Chistama, with shotguns and machetes, evicted the workers of the company Kanay and Petro Rossy, who were in charge of cleaning and lifting the pipeline. The residents not only expelled the workers, but also destroyed the infrastructure that had been implemented.

PETROPERU has filed the respective report before the Maypuco police station; however, the police personnel who traveled to the work zone were prevented from conducting the inspection of the case by the residents of Nueva Esperanza.

This is not the first opportunity that the pipeline has been intentionally broken by third parties, followed by the blocking of cleaning and remediation activities due to the demand for work quotas. A similar event occurred in April of this year, carried out by residents of the town of Maypuco, district of Urarinas, in Loreto.

On the same note, PETROPERU rejects the false accusations made in a communiqué by the leaders of the Nueva Esperanza native community, which question the cause of the spill, which has already been determined by the authorities. In any case, no claim justifies the suspension of pipeline repair and cleaning activities in the area.

On the other hand, PETROPERU reminds the public that with the implementation of the "Road Clearing and Early Warning Clearing Program", the inhabitants of the neighboring communities of the ONP will be benefited in a sustainable manner with a source of employment and improvement of living conditions; and with the participatory surveillance of the infrastructure, they will have the additional benefit of large-scale works through the Works for Taxes system, a mechanism that has as a basic condition that there be no attacks against the North Peruvian Pipeline.

PETROPERÚ reiterates its rejection of the irresponsible attitude of the people who make intentional cuts to the ONP, seeking an immediate economic benefit at the expense of attacking the patrimony of all Peruvians and invoking the communities to work together to prevent these damages that only generate serious risks to the health of people and the environment.