IRI Peru holds dialogue with Ministers, religious leaders on threats to the country’s indigenous peoples

In partnership with the ProPurús Association, IRI Peru organized a dialogue on indigenous insecurity in the Amazon in response to the alarming increase in violence and deaths of indigenous leaders and environmental defenders. The event included the participation of Cardinal Pedro Barreto, President of the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network; Eduardo Vega, Minister of Justice; and Alejandro Neyra, Minister of Culture. The dialogue had a diverse panel from faith communities, indigenous peoples, government and civil society. Panellists included Monsignor Alfredo Vizcarra, Bishop of the Apostolic Vicariate of Jaén; Apu Jiribati Berlín Diques, President of the Regional Organization AIDESEP Ucayali; Daniel Sánchez, Vice Minister of Human Rights and Access to Justice; Jorge Chávez Cotrina, National Coordinator of the Specialized Prosecutor’s Offices Against Organized Crime of the Public Ministry; and Andrea Tello, Regional Coordinator in Loreto of the Peruvian Society of Environmental Law. During the dialogue, Minister of Justice Eduardo Vega presented the Supreme Decree N° 004-2021-JUS “Intersectoral Mechanism for the protection of human rights defenders”, signed the same day at the Council of Ministers. This new mechanism will allow the State to act through eight ministries for the protection of environmental defenders, focusing on three areas: effective prevention, rapid protection and access to justice.  A link to the video of the event can be found here.