Mick Jagger Called On to Champion Amazon Tribes Fox News Latino
go to original June 2, 2012

Mick Jagger performs during the Rolling Stones concert at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy. (AP/Luca Bruno)

An international advocacy group is hoping to put a halt to a Peruvian government’s shadowy mineral exploration program in the Amazon by enlisting rock legend Mick Jagger into the battle.

In letter to the Rolling Stones frontman, Survival International have asked Jagger to demand some answers about the controversial Camisea gas project in which the Peruvian government is attempting to find gas in an Amazonian reserve despite promises to indigenous peoples of the region not to do so.

“It’s ironic Peru’s newest gas project takes a name that epitomizes the reckless plunder of indigenous land,” wrote Survival International’s Director Stephen Corry in a press release. “Peru should stop and remind itself why these areas are protected, and Mick Jagger should use his honorary title to demand some answers.”

Jagger was named an Environmental Ambassador by Peru last year, after he visited the country’s Peru's Manú national park – a UNESCO world heritage site known for its extraordinary biodiversity that has the Kugapakori-Nahua-Nanti reserve as one of its buffer zones.

Nine years ago the country promised never to infringe on the Nahua-Nati Reserve, but, Survival international now claims that the Peruvian government is trying reverse its previous decision and has allegedly created a new exploration block for the state oil company PetroPeru in the area.

“Peru is legally obliged to protect the estimated 15 uncontacted tribes living in its Amazon forest. Furthermore, it gave undertakings not to expand the Camisea project into the isolated Indians’ territory – which it is now breaking,” Corry wrote in the letter to Jagger.

Peru’s vice-Minister for Culture told Survival International told survival that it planned to protect isolated Indian groups, but the country’s Energy Ministry and PetroPeru did not respond to Survival’s enquiries.

Survival International also noted that, in a strange twist of fate, Jagger filmed several scenes for Werner Herzog’s film 1982 Fitzcarraldo, about a rubber baron, before being replaced.

While Jagger has yet to respond to Survival’s request the advocacy group hopes that the rocker won’t give the Peruvian government any satisfaction.  

"As an honorary ambassador of Peru's Amazon Rainforest we urge you to call on the authorities to live up to their promises, and stop endangering the Indian's lives," Corry wrote.

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