Oil Spill in Playas de Lobitos, Peru
by María Josefina Arce
Peru has a long history of oil spills and environmental degradation. According to the National Human Rights Coordinator's Working Group on Hydrocarbon Impacts, more than 1400 emergencies have been registered in the country between 1997 and 2023.
And now Peru has suffered another environmental disaster. In the last few days, an oil spill has been recorded in Playas de Lobitos, one of the most important beach resorts in the north of the Andean country, raising concerns about the damage to marine life in the area.
The images of turtles, fish and crabs covered in oil are reminiscent of what happened two years ago when some 12,000 barrels of oil from the Spanish multinational Repsol spilled on the coast of Ventanilla, north of the capital, Lima.
Although this time the spill was smaller, it also caused environmental and economic damage to nearby fishing communities.
History is repeating itself. The disaster two years ago caused the death of thousands of species, affected artisanal fishing and tourism, and left thousands of Peruvian families without a livelihood.
In addition, the multinational's response was slow and inadequate, initially giving a lower figure for the number of barrels spilled and trying to minimize its responsibility by blaming the fact on a strong swell in the area caused by a tsunami resulting from the eruption of a volcano in Tonga.
However, people in the area disputed this version, asserting that the sea was calm.
Now the government of self-proclaimed president Dilma Boluarte has decreed an environmental emergency for 90 days to clean up the area after the spill, which was the responsibility of state-owned Petroperu.
However, environmental organizations are demanding that help be given to restore the ecosystems, as the coral reefs contain unique species.
And once again there is an attempt to minimize the fact. PetroPerú said it was not a spill, but a hydrocarbon leak at the Talara refinery, and that the area was already clean, which was questioned by local residents.
The truth is that this is a very sensitive issue for Peruvian society, which has witnessed over the years the constant damage to the environment and the lack of a quick and effective response.
