The cocama indigenous community is planning a series of demonstrations this week to protest Argentinean oil company Pluspetrol’s response following an oil spill last month in the Marañón river in Peru’s north-eastern Loreto department, CNR radio station reported.
Alfonso López, a cocama leader, said the company had agreed to provide medicine, food and water after their community was hit by the toxic aftermath of the spill. According to López, the oil company has failed to fulfill its commitments following the spill, which he says has now affected some 21,000 people in the Saramuro area.
“We have had this first meeting with the company to see how far they were willing to go to provide for us, but we don’t see anything,” López said. “We have sent them a document asking for the medicines, food and water for those who have been affected [by the spill], but until now they have not responded.”
López said Pluspetrol would not be able to provide the goods until they are able to coordinate a plan to transport them to the population located in Peru’s jungle.
“That is a joke for the people. This is a company that can fulfill [its commitments], above all for the damage they have caused the people and the environment.”
The oil spill was a result of an accident by a ship owned by Pluspetrol. The spill occurred on June 19.
