Indigenous leaders from the Wampis Nation in Peru have taken their plea to the House of Commons in London, urging lawmakers to prohibit international banks from supporting Amazon oil activities that are causing harm to their ancestral rainforests. HSBC, JPMorgan Chase, and Santander were identified as financial backers of the state-owned oil company Petroperu, which operates a coastal refinery processing crude oil from a pipeline running through the rainforest.
Over the past decade, there have been numerous oil leaks along the pipeline, leading to severe pollution of the Wampis' fishing waters and threatening their way of life. The Wampis leaders emphasized the urgent need for action to protect their environment and livelihoods.
