Perenco: Oil and Violence in the Mayan Forest

Perenco Guatemala Limited, a local subsidiary of the Anglo-French oil company Perenco, has been operating oil wells in Laguna del Tigre National Park in the Guatemala department of Petén since 2001. In 2010, Perenco G.L. obtained a controversial contract extension of fifteen years for its operations in the heart of this protected natural area, in spite of the fact that the international importance of the site has been recognized by the Ramsar Convention.

Within the scope of the renewal agreement for oil contract no. 2-85, and after the creation of a “green battalion” funded by a direct financial contribution of Perenco G.L., the area has been heavily militarized. Since 2010, the number of military units in the area has almost tripled, and local communities have been repressed and intimidated by the soldiers.

The government has failed to stand up for the human rights of the inhabitants of the region. Instead, it has been forcibly displacing local communities that stand in the way of the development of megaprojects. Four communities have been evicted from the area since 2009, and eleven new evictions could soon be taking place.

Local communities are being deprived of their basic rights, for instance the right to education, the right to health, the right of access to title to the land they live on – often after forced resettlement – under the pretext that they are “invaders” in a protected zone. And yet, the Perenco G.L. oil company has had its operating contract renewed and the area has been remilitarized, in contradiction to the Peace Accords that promote, among other things, a reduction in military personnel.

The communities of San Andrés, La Libertad and Las Cruces need our support for an end to the violence against them and to ensure that their rights are respected.

Local communities in Petén need our support so that violence against them ends and their rights are respected:

 https://www.rainforest-rescue.org/mailalert/920/perenco-oil-and-violence-in-the-mayan-forest

Thanks for being involved,

Reinhard Behrend
Rainforest Rescue (Rettet den Regenwald e.V.)