PRESS RELEASE | Landmark ruling: The Peruvian Court of Nauta recognizes the rights of the Marañón River and the Indigenous communities as its guardians
NEWSMARCH 19, 2024
In a historic milestone for the protection of the Marañón River, led by indigenous Kukama women of Peru, the Peruvian Mixed Court in Nauta ruled to protect the rights of the Marañón River
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 19, 2024
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Isadora Armani, International Rivers, iarmani@internationalrivers.org (English, Spanish, Portuguese)
Alexis Revollé, Instituto de Defensa Legal (IDL), arevolle@idl.org.pe (Spanish)
Peru – In a landmark decision in favor of rivers in Peru, the Mixed Court in the City of Nauta ruled that the Marañón River, one of the country’s most significant rivers and water sources and the first source of the Amazon, has an intrinsic value and it is recognized as a Subject of Rights codifying a series of inherent rights. The triumph marks the culmination of efforts led by the Huaynakana Kamatahuara Kana Federation, an Indigenous Kukama women’s group rooted in the Parinari district of the Loreto province and region. Since 2021, they have spearheaded a legal battle against the State and Peruvian authorities, demanding protection for the Marañón River from the constant oil spills from the Norperuvian oil pipeline operated by Petroperu. The communities that make up this federation are still dealing with the aftermath of the Saramuro oil spill in 2010.