Among the passengers affected are tourists from the USA, Spain, France, Great Britain, Germany and Switzerland. They were being held on a boat on the Marañón River, said Cuninico township leader Watson Trujillo Acosta. Everyone is fine.
If old people or sick people are among them, they are allowed to leave the ship, emphasized Trujillo Acosta. By arresting the vacationers, the villagers want to persuade the government to do something about an oil spill in the region. Most recently, oil had repeatedly leaked from a pipeline belonging to the energy company Petroperú and had polluted the Marañón river. “We demand that a state of emergency be declared and that a commission led by the President visit our region,” said village chief Trujillo Acosta.
“They are friendly and respectful”
Petroperú said that the pipeline is being deliberately damaged again and again. More than 50 cases of damage have been registered since December last year. According to its own statements, the company took care of cleaning up the affected areas and supplied the residents with drinking water and food.
“They are kind and respectful to us, but this is the only way they have to find a solution for their village,” Ángela Ramírez, a cyclist who was stuck on the ship, wrote on Facebook. “The sooner they are heard, the sooner they let us go.”
Goods are stuck
Apparently, the villagers did not allow transport ships to pass either and blocked the Marañón River. According to traders, there could therefore be supply bottlenecks with vegetables in the city of Iquitos. “Our goods are stuck because people won’t let the ships through,” said dealer spokesman Diego Bautista. “Vegetable prices are already rising.”
The 800-kilometer Norperuano Pipeline, owned by state-owned Petroperu, was built around 40 years ago to transport crude oil from the Amazon to the coast. According to Petroperu, the pipeline was intentionally damaged by a 21 centimeter long cut.
Source: Nachrichten
