President of Peru Alan Garcia.

Peru’s President Garcia has just announced the discovery of oil in the north of the country. According to Garcia, the discovery was made by Canadian oil company Talisman, working in an area called, in oil-speak, Lot 64.

‘God has heard Peru’s need and Talisman has found light oil that can be mixed with heavy oil in the lots run by Perenco and Repsol between 100 and 200 kilometres away,’ Garcia said.

In other words, this new discovery will make it easier to exploit oil already discovered elsewhere.

But the regions where both Perenco and Repsol-YPF are working include territory inhabited by at least two uncontacted tribes. The companies’ presence there could be fatal for the tribes and violates their rights under international law.

Perenco, recently nominated for a spoof Friends of the Earth award, doesn’t believe the tribes exist. So too Garcia. Other than killing people, can you imagine a more effective way of denying them their rights?

Garcia is determined that Perenco’s work should go ahead – so determined that he is prepared to claim God is backing Perenco too.