PetroTal, a Canadian-based company, said that its vessels and crews are coming under attack by the indigenous population as it works to move oil and supplies along the rivers in Peru’s Amazon region.
The company reports the attacks escalated with kidnappings, commandeering of its vessels, and blocking river transport.
As explained, small boats blocked the river and others surrounded their vessels. Working from the native canoes, they report the attackers are throwing Molotov cocktails (homemade incendiary devices) at the crews and vessels. The company highlights that the attacks are putting their crews and vessels at risk as well as the environment.
They report that a local activist group, the Association for Development and Conservation of Bajo Puinahua (Aidecobap) has to date taken control of two vessels and kidnapped 12 crewmembers. The company says they are also holding a vessel loaded with 40,000 barrels of oil. They report that this is also not the first time that the group has kidnapped crewmembers. Last November, PetroTal says another crew of Brazilian citizens was held for 48 hours.
