Ocho Sur, a company dedicated to the sustainable production of palm oil in Ucayali, informs the public that the Constitutional Court (TC) – the highest judicial body of Peru – declared inadmissible the request for protection presented by the Legal Defense Institute (IDL). ) in 2016, for an alleged impact on ancestral territories of the Native Community of Santa Clara de Uchunya.
This claim for protection sought to annul property titles, validly issued by Peruvian government authorities, of lands that today form part of the Tibecocha estate (currently owned by Ocho Sur) because they are supposedly ancestral territories of the community.
Through this ruling, the Constitutional Court confirmed the decisions issued in the two previous judicial instances: Mixed Court of Justice of Campo Verde in 2016 and Specialized Civil Chamber of the Superior Court of Justice of Ucayali in 2017, in the first and second instance, respectively.
Michael Spoor, CEO of Ocho Sur, regarding this resolution said: “We ratify our strict respect and compliance with the ruling issued and our recognition of the highest Peruvian court of justice. As we have always said, this case was promoted internationally by different NGOs and third parties outside our Ucayali region that profit by generating conflicts between neighbors.”
The representative of the palm oil company pointed out that for five years these organizations have used this case to try to damage the reputation of Ocho Sur, without any real basis, trying to promote a non-existent conflict with a friendly native community and, on the contrary, the company and neighboring communities have maintained a peaceful relationship, carrying out joint work for the sustainable development of the common territory and the improvement of the well-being of its population.
“We reaffirm our commitment to continue working, hand in hand with our neighbors and all Ucayalinos, always with the highest standards of respect for the environment and human rights. Sustainable oil palm is a great alternative for the formal and inclusive development of the Peruvian Amazon and an industry that is the leader and pride of our region,” concluded the CEO of Ocho Sur.
