(LIP-jl) (La Republica) -- Authorities from the Organization for the Development of the Indigenous Communities from the High Comaina (ODECOAC in Spanish) and the Organization of Development for the Cenepa Border Communities (ODECOFROC in Spanish) are demanding the creation of two national parks in Peru's Amazonian region.The representatives from both organizations expressed their intentions of maintaining the areas within the proposed national parks free from any type of contamination and industrial operations.
"Last September we publicly denounced the contamination of our rivers caused by gold mining operations conducted by the Afrodita mining company at the mouths of the Comaina and Sawientsa Rivers and by Ecuadorian citizens who cross over into Peruvian territory," commented one of the representatives.
According to representatives of the indigenous groups, they have always defended their territory, even battling alongside Peruvian soldiers in the Peru-Ecuador border conflict.
"Our people have given their lives to defend the Condor Mountain Range, a Awajun ancestral territory," sustained the organizations.
They reminded government officials that as a result of that conflict, the Peruvian government agreed to protected areas as part of the peace treaty.
According to the organizations, this is the reason they are asking authorities to protect roughly 152,000 hectares of land by giving them national park status.
The proposed names of the national parks are Ichigkat-Muja Condor Mountain Range National Park and Tunta Nain Communal Reserve.
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