An appeals court has overturned a significant ruling that granted an Indigenous community in the Peruvian Amazon the right to reclaim ancestral rainforests. Legal experts have criticized this decision, considering it irregular.

The Kichwa tribes have inhabited the Cordillera Azul National Park region for centuries before the park’s establishment in 2001, which they claim resulted in the theft of their land.

In an effort to offset their carbon emissions, major companies like Shell and TotalEnergies have invested over $80 million in purchasing credits from the park, the Associated Press has reported.

Unfortunately, the Puerto Franco community of Kichwa has not benefited from this financial support and has experienced food scarcity due to the loss of their previous access to hunting, fishing, and gathering in the park area.

However, in a momentous legal victory in April, Judge Simona del Socorro Torres Sánchez ruled that the creation of the park without the community’s consent violated their rights.

The judge ordered authorities to initiate the process of granting them land title, ensuring their involvement in conservation efforts within the park and enabling them to participate in its management.

Written by staff