MINEM: Indigenous communities lift measures of force in the area of influence of Lot 67

This Minem release was published using machine translation.

Iquitos. – Thanks to the mediation of the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MINEM), a Technical Work Table was set up to deal with the problems of the indigenous communities in the area of influence of Block 67, located in Loreto, which, after six months of struggle, raised his forceful measures that will allow the boosting of oil production in the northern jungle of the country.

At the request of the sector minister, a high-level commission from MINEM traveled, led by the Vice Minister of Hydrocarbons, Rafael Reyes Vivas, and Secretary General Wider Herrera, who for the first time reached the San Rafael community (indirect area of lot 67). , carrying Ministerial Resolution No. 156-2022-MINEM/DM, which creates said space for dialogue as a sign of the commitment promoted by the Government chaired by Pedro Castillo Terrones, to serve the most needy populations.

The apus of the native communities of the Kichwa indigenous people of the Curaray river basin, affiliated with the Federation of Native Communities of Curaray (FECONCU), upon understanding this gesture of meeting their demands, agreed to lift their measure of force that they had complied with since October 2021. Thus, after 18 months, the river pass that blocked the boats, due to the force measure and the pandemic, was opened to the operations of Lot 67 indefinitely.

The Deputy Minister of Hydrocarbons, Rafael Reyes Vivas, upon inaugurating the "Technical Work Table to address the problems of the communities, localities and/or hamlets that are in the area of direct influence of Lot 67", emphasized the dialogue position of the Government to address the concerns of the population and the will to resolve them.

In his turn, the general secretary of MINEM, Wider Herrera Lavado, welcomed the decision of the Kichwa community to claim their rights and announced that a bill is being worked on to improve the distribution of the canon at the national level, in favor of the populations located in the areas of direct influence of the extractive activities, in the same way announced that the award was given for a rural electrification project for the benefit of the population of the area of influence.

Before the end of the meeting, the representatives and apus of the Kichwa community expressed their gratitude to the MINEM officials for addressing and channeling their demands and promised to channel projects that benefit the locality through the Technical Work Table. On the other hand, these representatives of the population welcomed the fact that a solution to this conflict has been reached through dialogue and not by public force.

It should be noted that with the reactivation of Lot 67, the Perenco company will produce 3,000 barrels per day, which would make approximately 90,000 barrels per month, and with this the local economy and the Loreto region will be reactivated.

The deputy minister of Hydrocarbons, the general secretary and the director of OGGS, from MINEM, participated in the installation of this space for dialogue. Also, the mayor of the Municipality of Napo, leaders of FECONCU, 11 communal authorities (apus), indigenous mothers, as well as representatives of the Perenco oil company.