Defend Children's Health in Peru

Ten years ago this week, on August 14^th, the case of La Oroya was admitted before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. For ten years, the petitioners have been waiting to receive the Merits Report on their case, which will conclude whether the facts of the case constitute human rights violations.

For ten years, their bodies contaminated by heavy metals, they have been seeking justice.

In honor of this unfortunate anniversary, the petitioners in the case, along with those of us who support them, drafted public letters to the Commissioners.

The letters are part of a strategy to pressure the Commission to issue the Report in favor of the people of La Oroya and, in doing so, move the process of justice forward to the Inter-American Court.

The La Oroya case is emblematic of the problem of widespread toxic metal contamination in Peru, so a Merit Report in our favor would create an important antecedent. It would contribute to guaranteeing the rights of many affected communities across the country, which have been grouped together in the National Platform of People Affected by Heavy Metals. 

What follows is an excerpt from the letter written by our clients, the affected residents of La Oroya:

“We came before this International body to find justice, yet after all these years we still haven´t found a concrete solution to our situation.

We have provided the Commission, year after year, with detailed information regarding our health, the way our lives have been affected by the actions and omissions of the State, and the fact that today we still don´t have effective treatment for our health conditions.

It’s urgent that the Commission advance in processing our case to ensure effective access to health, a healthy environment, and justice.

The current precautionary measures… that have been active for 12 years have proven insufficient to guarantee effective treatment that would allow us to overcome the illnesses we´ve suffered for decades.

…

Today we know our bodies are contaminated, but we still don´t know what the correct treatment is for our recovery.

Our day-to-day situation worsens, not only from the poisoning but also from the attacks we suffer from members of our own community because of our defense. They accuse us of not allowing the reactivation of the metal smelter, despite the fact that it threatens the health of the entire community, because for some it is the only economic option available in La Oroya.

Our case demonstrates the situation of heavy metal poisoning that is affecting people throughout the country.

A timely and adequate statement from the Commission would help to not only transform our reality and guarantee our rights, but would also open new paths toward justice and a healthy environment for the thousands of people currently affected by toxic metals in Peru.”

We have submitted this and two letters of support to the Commission, which we invite you to read in full on our website.

The outreach strategy that accompanies the official letters includes a social media campaign and a public webinar honoring the 10^th anniversary of the case.

As we continue to seek justice, we are proud to support the affected people of La Oroya and uplift their voices through the design and implementation of awareness campaigns.

Thank you for listening to their message, and for your ongoing support.

Links:

• Read the letters to the Commission

I’m writing this update from the cloudy and cold city of Lima, as I prepare to meet with families that were forced to move from La Oroya to the capital due to the health effects of long-term exposure to heavy metals. I visit Peru often to meet with our clients, both in La Oroya and Lima, and treasure the time we get to spend together discussing the case and addressing their concerns.

This visit, we’ve been focused on strategy and coordination. Between meetings, conversations, presentations and preparations for a national hearing, my objective is clear: listen to the communities, exchange concerns, and define our strategy together.

We work for them, they are the priority and we are here to support them.

In La Oroya, together with APRODEH attorneys, I visited members of Junín and Huancayo communities who we accompany in our case before the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights.

We came to update them on relevant information regarding the case, and discuss our legal strategy going forward, and the impacts it could have.

Earlier this week, we attended a meeting organized by a coalition of people from across Peru, all of whom have been affected by heavy metal pollution. We shared experiences and lessons learned, and began to compile evidence collected of the impacts of various sources of toxic pollution.

Our objective was to help the communities prepare a united front for a public hearing organized by local authorities and civil society coalitions, focusing on the environmental and human health impacts of toxic pollution that will be taking place on May 22. AIDA will not be present but the affected communities we represent will participate.

AIDA is a regional organization, and as such we work hand in hand with local organizations to ensure our clients permanent and accessible support. We work hand-in-hand with APRODEH, and we couldn’t do this work without them.

Together we will discuss and define our litigation strategy in order to continue providing the best possible support for our clients and their communities.