Indigenous nations denounce Ecuador–Peru oil deal as illegal, demand California end imports driving Amazon destruction

Indigenous communities in Ecuador and Peru have erupted in strong opposition of a new agreement between Petroperú and Petroecuador — oil companies owned by Peru and Ecuador respectively — to link Ecuador’s southern Amazon oil blocks to the Norperuvian Pipeline.

In a public letter, 11 Indigenous nationalities and organisations condemned the deal, announced by Peruvian President Dina Boluarte on July 28, 2025, as a clear breach of national and international laws that guarantee their right to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC).

The proposed connection would revive the long-stalled ‘Ronda Suroriente’ oil expansion in Ecuador’s Amazon and increase crude transport through the Norperuvian Pipeline — a system notorious for decades of oil spills that have polluted rivers, devastated ecosystems, and endangered Indigenous communities.

The initiative, Indigenous leaders warned, is being propelled by the continued demand from California refineries, which remain the largest US importers of Amazon crude, particularly from Ecuador. Data show these refineries process hundreds of millions of barrels annually, tying California’s fuel consumption directly to deforestation, climate emissions and human rights violations in one of the world’s most biodiverse regions.

“This deal has no consent, no legitimacy, and will face legal and social resistance every step of the way,” the joint statement declared. “California’s continued demand for Amazon crude fuels projects like this and makes the state complicit in the destruction of our lands.”

The signatories — including the Binational Achuar Coordination of Ecuador and Peru (Cobnaep), the Sápara Nation of Ecuador (NASE), the Shiwiar Nation of Ecuador (NASHIE), the Kichwa Runakuna of Pastaza (PAKKIRU), the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Wampís Nation, and the Chapra Nation — emphasised that the agreement poses grave legal, financial, and reputational risks. They pointed to international accords such as ILO Convention 169 (Convention Concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries) and the American Convention on Human Rights, both of which require FPIC for projects affecting Indigenous territories.

The declaration is made just a few weeks ahead of the Amazon Summit of Presidents and the gatherings of the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization (ACTO), where it is anticipated that governments will focus on enhancing rainforest conservation instead of approving new extraction projects.“Decades of strong Indigenous resistance against fossil fuels in Ecuador and Peru have successfully expelled oil companies and shut down destructive expansion plans. Funding drilling of more Amazon crude is a dead end for investments and will result in unfulfilled promises of profit,” said Mary Mijares, Corporate Campaigns Manager at Amazon Watch.

Kevin Koenig, climate and energy director at Amazon Watch, noted that a recent Indigenous delegation to California inspired the state Senate to introduce a resolution calling for a review of Amazon crude imports. “With a full Senate vote expected soon, any expansion of oil drilling in Ecuador now stands in direct opposition to global efforts to move away from fossil fuels,” he said.

In reaction, Indigenous nations have issued a global alert and will hold a press conference to detail the legal, social, and diplomatic steps they will take to protect their rights. The proposed actions involve engaging with policymakers, financial institutions, and the public in California, urging an immediate cessation of Amazon crude oil imports.

“California can no longer claim climate leadership while powering its cars and industries with oil from the Amazon,” the statement concludes. “Ending these imports is a critical step to protecting our peoples, our rivers, and the planet.”