Victory! Mega-Dam in Peru’s Amazonian rainforest halted by indigenous peoples’ opposition!

Last year with the support of our regular Workplace Givers we worked with our Peruvian partner organization (Central Ashaninka del Rio Ene (CARE)) to stop the building of a network of hydroelectric dams in theAmazon, due to be developed by a Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, on the grounds that the dams will be build on indigenous Ashaninka communities’ land.

We have now learned, that, in what is being internationally heralded as a victory for the world’s indigenous peoples, Odebrecht has announced its withdrawal from the planned development of the Tambo-40 Hydroelectric Dam on the Tambo River in the Peruvian Amazon, due to the strong opposition by potentially affected indigenous communities.

In a letter newly obtained by the Rainforest Foundation, Odebrecht stated to the Peruvian Ministry of Energy and Mines on October 24th that after completing preliminary studies, the company decided to withdraw from the project to “respect the opinion of local populations”, referring directly to the more than 14,000 indigenous peoples of the Ashaninka communities who have opposed the construction of dams on the Ene and Tambo Rivers, fearing the loss of the 73,000 hectares of forest and farmland that would have been destroyed if construction had gone ahead.

Ruth Buendia Mestoquiari (President of Centro Ashaninka del Rio Ene, CARE, the representative indigenous Ashaninka organization of the Ene River) said: “It is very important that Odebrecht have respected the desire of our communities to live in peace in the territory where we have always lived. Decisions like this one show that companies are willing to pass up projects with large impacts to local population and avoid unnecessary socio-environmental problems. We ask the Peruvian Government to stop granting concessions in our territory. We hope that the Ministry of Energy and Mines removes this project from its portfolio once and for all.”

Simon Counsell, Executive Director of the Rainforest Foundation said:  “This important victory for Peru’s indigenous people shows that environmental protection can often best be achieved by securing and strengthening the rights of local communities.

The Rainforest Foundation UK has worked with and supported the Ashaninka people of Peru’s Ene Valley for the last 10 years, firstly in helping rebuild their communities following years of devastating attacks by terrorist organisations, then in helping secure legal rights to their lands and supporting the designation of adjacent areas as legally protected communal reserves and a National Park.

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