Peru: Affected fishermen protest at the Spanish embassy

LIMA (AP) — Fishermen affected by oil spills in the Pacific Ocean of Peru outside the Repsol refinery protested Tuesday against a disagreement with the Spanish embassy about trying to force the company to sign for granting $805 for compensation propaganda.

Zenón Gallegos, president of the Fisherman's Union of Chancay artisans, told the Associated Press that he was looking for an embassy to “pressure” an energy company based in Madrid to revise the terms of the act drafted by Repsol.

A report printed on paper by Gallegos revealed that Repsol and fishermen “voluntarily and unjudicially agree to the transaction”. The leader pointed out that he was looking for the deletion of the phrase “non-judicial transaction” because it was harmful to the interests of the fishermen.

Fisherman Mario Poma added: “In the documents they give us, there are words that we do not understand very well, which are double-edged, something different from 'trading', we want them to clarify it.”

Sandra Rossi, a fisherman's lawyer and expert in environmental law, said that the use of the legal term “non-judicial transaction” allows fishermen to understand that later disputes cannot be brought to the judicial authorities. He added that what they are looking for is to sign “an agreement between the parties so that compensation can be discussed later.”

Affected fishermen extracted fish, shellfish and mollusks near the coast and belong to the most vulnerable strata in the fishing sector, experts say: they quit their jobs for two months and became almost beggars.

Prime Minister Anibal Torres said two weeks ago that Repsol promised to pay $805 “due to compensation caused by coastal residents affected by the spill”. He made it clear that this progress was not an out-of-court transaction. “There is no transaction, and the company is obliged to pay due to compensation caused by residents.”

The PA has requested comments from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Union and the Ministry of Cooperation and Repsol without obtaining current comments.

“We ask you to change this legal term. If you have good faith, you can do it today.” The riot police guarded the embassy, the protests were peaceful, the fishermen arrived with their families, and several women were carrying young children.

Olga Noe, a 48-year-old fish-cutter, said: “Repsol ignores our misfortunes and hopes that the embassy will help us correct everything that Repsol is doing against us, tying hands and feet to the polluted sea.

The fishermen were also disappointed with the government of President Pedro Castillo. President Pedro Castillo announced on January 15 that he would offer financial aid bonuses shortly after the leak, but ruled out such a possibility almost 50 days later.

The government estimates that more than 5,000 people were affected by at least an eighth minute spill that occurred during the discharge of 11,900 barrels of oil from the Italian flag Mare Doricum ship to the Repsol refinery. Peru claims that dumping crude oil into one of the world's most biodiverse seas is the “worst ecological disaster” in history.

The Spanish energy company claims that the vessel is responsible for the spill, while the owner of the ship responds by saying that “inaccurate or misleading” information is not provided because the investigation continues.