Cardinal Pedro Barreto publishes editorial on the moral responsibility to protect indigenous peoples and forest communities in Peru

Cardinal Pedro Barreto, S.J., Archbishop of Huancayo and President of the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network, published an opinion column in the newspaper El Comercio entitled “Peace and dignity for the Amazon” in support of IRI Peru advocacy around the rights and protections for indigenous peoples and environmental defenders in the country.  Cardinal Barreto, one of the most prominent religious leaders in the country, recognized with deep concern the ongoing violence indigenous peoples in Peru face as well as the accelerating deforestation rates during the pandemic. He also highlighted the six measures included in the IRI Peru “Declaration for Amazonian Indigenous Security” and the urgency of its implementation. “This declaration reminds us and invites us to live one of the dreams that Pope Francis shared in “Dear Amazonia”: I dream of an Amazon that fights for the rights of the poorest, of the natives, of the survivors. An Amazon where your voice is heard, and your dignity is promoted.” Click here to view the editorial in Spanish.