Goeldi’s monkeys live in Alto Purús (© Thomas Rawyler)
Dear friends of the rainforest,
in Peru, plans are made to build a road through one of the biggest national parks. Located on the border to Brazil, Alto Purús protects a largely intact wilderness and houses a great variety of plants and animals. The road is mainly supposed to serve economic interests and poses a serious threat to the rainforest in the Purús Province. Also, at least two Indian tribes live in the national park in voluntary isolation. If the road is constructed, it will put an end to their peaceful living. For this reason, the park management and the local population object to the planned construction.
Please show them your support and sign our petition so that the Alto Purús National Park stays protected.
Take Action
More information:
A road to pursuing the economic interests of a few
“The richness of the region through which the road is supposed to pass should be mentioned. In particular, the rainforest as a source of timber production and the possibility of large-scale stock breeding […]”, the euphoric project report reads. The aim that is to be achieved by building the road is clear. Formerly wild areas of the Amazon are scheduled to be made economically accessible. The proposed road will connect the Peruvian cities of Puerto Esperanza (Madre de Dios) and Iñapari (Ucayali), and the construction plans are subject to the South American infrastructure project IIRSA (1). IIRSA is a development plan to interconnect the traffic and transportation routes of South American countries. The road through the Alto Purús National Park is part of section 3 of IIRSA’s “Peru-Brazil-Bolivia Hub”. Linking the Brazilian border to Peru’s Pacific coast is the long-term goal. The Catholic Church in Párroco supports the building of the road through Alto Purús and considers the construction project as bringing “salvation” to the indigenous people living there in voluntary isolation.
Alto Purús – A natural resource across borders
If the road is built, it will cut through one of the largest national parks in Peru. The region is a protected area since 2004 and covers 2.74 million hectares of land. Alto Purús is connected with other parks in Peru, Brazil and Bolivia – thus, it is part of the biggest network of protected areas in the Amazon. In large part, Alto Purús is accessible only by air. For this reason, the park has an almost intact ecosystem that is characterised by its immense variety of species. Particularly rare and endangered species such as the giant otter, the jaguar and the red-faced black spider monkey live there. Until now, scientists have discovered 86 mammal species and 510 species of bird. Scholars speak out against the building of the road, since it would inevitably open Alto Purús to illegal logging and poaching. Studies (2) show that it is the custom in the Amazon region to cut down a large area of at least 50 kilometers on both sides of the track in the course of road construction. This would mean disaster for the ecosystem of Alto Purús.
Cultural diversity in the Alto Purús National Park
More than 85 per cent of the population in the Purús Province belong to indigenous tribes such as Juni kuin, Sharanahua or Culina. The majority rejects the building of the road. “We do not believe in the government’s promises of progress. The new road will only bring more poverty, more settlers and the destruction of nature”, says Flora, a member of the regional indigenous umbrella organisation FECONAPU. In addition to that, the construction project threatens the existence of the indigenous people of the Mashco Piro (3) and the Curanjeño. These Indian tribes living in voluntary isolation in the national park would come into conflict with loggers and poachers, and they would be helpless in the face of the “diseases of modern civilisation”. In fact, the population has the law on its side: In September 2011, the new Peruvian government shaped ILO Convention 169 into national law. According to the approved consultation law, the people affected by economic projects have to consent to them first. What is more, the national park is subject to strict protection regulations. Flora explains: “In our view, the seed for development lies in our creativity – in working constructively with our future generations in mind and in dealing with plant and animal life as well as biodiversity in a resonsible way. The forest is life.”
Links:
(1) http://www.iirsa.org/index.asp?CodIdioma=ESP
(2) http://www.amazonia-andina.org/sites/default/files/Amazonia-peruana-en-2021-Marc-Dourojeanni.pdf
(3) English: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/31/peru-outsiders-uncontacted-amazon-tribe
(4) http://servindi.org/pdf/FECONAPU_PURUS.pdf