Last week, a notorious pipeline leaked at least 6,000 liters of oil, threatening the lives and livelihoods of the Indigenous Quechua and Achuar peoples.

The pipeline spans hundreds of kilometers across seven Indigenous territories and is one of the country’s largest sources of toxic oil contamination, and state-run oil company Petroperú has a long track record of environmental disasters.

A week later, Petroperú has still not been able to contain the spill, let alone remediate the extensive damage it has caused. Hundreds of Indigenous people are directly affected, with the number of impacted communities rising alarmingly as the oil oozes down the Pastaza River. It has already poisoned Siwin Lake, which serves as the primary source of food and water for the Achuar people.

The spill is an unfolding humanitarian emergency that must be addressed immediately. We are amplifying the Achuar’s calls to hold Petroperú accountable and begin the environmental remediation process while supporting community organizing and emergency assemblies.