Peru Asks the OAS to Discuss Damages from Repsol Oil Spill

On Wednesday, Peru's representative to the Organization of American States (OAS), Harold Forsyth, denounced before the OAS Permanent Council the environmental and economic impact caused by the oil spill that took place at a Repsol refinery on January 15.

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Besides mentioning that his country is "facing an unprecedented scenario in its history", he stressed that President Pedro Castillo's administration "is evaluating a drastic sanction and has been making its greatest efforts to recover damaged ecosystems."

The Peruvian ambassador also asked the OAS Permanent Council to discuss the Repsol oil spill at its next regular session.

This oil spill occurred at the La Pampilla refinery, operated by the Spanish company in the district of Ventanilla, in the province of Callao, adjacent to Metropolitan Lima. To date, Repsol has acknowledged that some 10,396 barrels spread along some 50 kilometers of coastline, from Ventanilla to Chancay City, in the north of the department of Lima.

On Monday, the Castillo administration paralyzed the loading and unloading activities of oil tankers in La Pampilla, from where 40 percent of the fuels used in Peru come from.

Repsol vowed that it will make "the greatest efforts to avoid the risk of shortages of essential products for Peruvian citizens and the country's development."

According to this company, 35 percent of the spilled oil was already recovered during the last week. To speed up the work to clean up the sea and the beaches, Repsol will transport additional equipment to Peru from the United States, Finland, Brazil, Colombia and the United Arab Emirates.