Half a year later, thousands without compensation and there are no guilty

The Agency for Environmental Assessment and Enforcement (OEFA) announced a fine of 5 million soles to the Repsol company for not having identified the areas affected by the oil spill on January 15. Half a year after the worst environmental catastrophe on the Peruvian coast, it is far from representing a true action of justice. No one has yet been charged, let alone convicted.

The investigation of the prosecutor specializing in the environment Ariel Tapia pins his hopes on identifying those responsible for the oil spill, on the results of the expert opinion who has ordered the submarine fuel distribution system (PLEMfor their figures in English).

The infrastructure was sent to a laboratory in Argentina, because in Peru there are no specialists in the matter. The attorney for the Ministry of the Environment, Julio Guzmán, confirmed that the PLEM has been in Argentina since May 23 of this year, a month and three weeks ago.

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The results will be key for the criminal and civil proceedings against Repsol officials and the Government, and those responsible for the ship Mare Doricum, led by Captain Giacomo Pisani. Repsol blamed Pisani for bad maneuvers that led to the breakup of the PLEM. And Pisani informed the Peruvian authorities that Repsol had acted negligently.

In addition to the fine of 5 million, the OEFA keeps another 4 processes open for alleged irregularities committed by Repsol, and that would imply heavier sanctions: for non-compliance with the cleaning of the soil, of the Protected Natural Areas and of the Ventanilla marine zone, and for presenting false information in the Preliminary Report of Environmental Emergencies.

However, oil pollution does not only imply the imposition of fines. It also represents a human impact whose attention is probably the most neglected.

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On Friday, July 8, the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM) announced the culmination of the elaboration of the register of those affected. On the same day, Repsol reported that the Single Register of Affected Persons, drawn up by the municipalities of the affected areas and the National Institute of Civil Defense (undecided), increased from 5,586 to 10,186 people.

However, neither the PCM nor Repsol they mentioned that there are more than 2,000 more people who claim not to have been included in the list of victims, and therefore do not receive any form of compensation.

The PCM maintains that the register was already complete, hinting that there would be no option to include more affected people. “The Single Register of People Affected by the oil spill in the Ventanilla Sea was completed,” the statement said.

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“There are still 1,800 merchants from Ancón who are still not considered. Now it is said that there will not be a third list. Repsol has told us that now only they are going to choose, it will no longer be through the municipalities”, declared the lawyer for the union Defending Ancón, Martín Rodríguez.

The representative of the National Association of Fishermen of Ancón (Apesca), the lawyer Raúl Llacua, indicated that There is still a group of fishermen who have not received any support since the disaster occurred.

“There are still 300 fishermen who are not included. The municipality did not report that a second list was being drawn up, everything was done in a hidden way,” Llacua said.

Earring. Fishermen and merchants claim for having been excluded from the census. Photo: diffusion

The Association of Artisanal Fishermen, Founders, Shipowners and Stevedores of Ventanilla (Aspefaea) presented, at the end of March, a lawsuit against the State before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), arguing that the Government does not comply with its role of ensuring the fundamental rights of those affected by the spill.

Aspefaea’s representative, Miguel Núñez, pointed out that They arrange for the presence of the IACHR rapporteur to verify that there are many victims of the oil spill in Ventanilla who have not received attention. It is not only about money, but also about human lives.

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Repsol: the beaches were cleaned and 6,000 families were helped

Repsol assures that 6 months after the oil leak in Ventanilla, on April 13, the company declared “the beaches and accessible places clean, for the approval of the authorities”.

It also maintains that “more than 6,000 families have received advance compensation and a third advance is underway.”

The Agency for Environmental Assessment and Control (OEFA), in a statement dated June 29, disagreed with Repsol on the cleaning of the beaches. And he indicated that, of 16 administrative measures, Repsol failed to comply with 7.

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