CACATAIBO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN VOLUNTARY ISOLATION THREATENED BY OIL EXPLORATION

This briefing by the Center for International Environmental Law describes the threats posed to the Cacataibo indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation (Camanos) by the Peruvian government's August 2007 approval of oil and gas exploration in Block 107. The document details the failure of the Peruvian state to establish proposed territorial reserves and the deficiencies in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the 2D Seismic Project, which involves dynamite blasts in traditional territories.

• In August 2007, the Peruvian government approved oil and gas exploration in the traditional territories of the Cacataibo indigenous people without their prior informed consent.
• The Cacataibo population consists of approximately 7,000 people living in communities with legal title or in the process of titling, as well as groups living in voluntary isolation, known as "Camanos," located in the Cordillera Azul mountain range and the headwaters of the Zungaruyacu, San Alejandro, and Aguaytía rivers.
• Despite requests dating back to 1999, the Peruvian government has failed to create territorial reserves for the isolated Cacataibo. Proposals included a 110,690-hectare reserve in 1999, and later requests in 2005 and 2006 for a Northern Cacataibo Territorial Reserve (81,866 hectares) and a Southern Cacataibo Territorial Reserve (62,919 hectares).
• The 2D Seismic Project for Block 107, operated by the Canadian-headquartered company Petrolífera Petroleum Del Peru S.A.C., superimposes 50% of the proposed territorial reserves. The project involves 38 seismic lines totaling 1,381 km, with dynamite blasts of 4 to 7 kilograms every 50 meters.
• The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Block 107 was approved by the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) in August 2007, despite INRENA having raised 65 observations on January 29, 2007, which the company had not fully addressed before INRENA issued a technical report of approval on June 25, 2007.
• The EIA is criticized for lacking precise coordinates for seismic lines and for proposing inadequate safety measures to prevent encounters with isolated peoples, such as using settled Cacataibo members as guides for workers opening pathways.
• Due to the imminent threat of forced contact and the resulting risk of illness and death, FENACOCA, IBC, and CIEL decided to request precautionary measures from the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR).

APA

Center for International Environmental Law (2007). CACATAIBO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN VOLUNTARY ISOLATION THREATENED BY OIL EXPLORATION. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Catataibo_1.pdf

Chicago

Center for International Environmental Law. CACATAIBO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN VOLUNTARY ISOLATION THREATENED BY OIL EXPLORATION. 2007. https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Catataibo_1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Center for International Environmental Law |title=CACATAIBO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN VOLUNTARY ISOLATION THREATENED BY OIL EXPLORATION |date=September 2007 |url=https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Catataibo_1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{centerforinternationalenvironmentallaw2007cacataibo, author = {{Center for International Environmental Law}}, title = {{CACATAIBO INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN VOLUNTARY ISOLATION THREATENED BY OIL EXPLORATION}}, institution = {Center for International Environmental Law}, year = {2007}, month = sep, url = {https://www.ciel.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Catataibo_1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }