Advocacy groups worry Peru’s Congress will take advantage of ongoing political and social strife by enacting bills that spur deforestation, undercut protections for isolated indigenous people, and cramp the government’s ability to address climate change. Indigenous-rights and environmental organizations point in particular to three pending bills. One would modify Peru’s Forest and Wildlife Law so regional governments can sidestep existing forest zoning criteria and grant titles to people illegally occupying woodlands. A second would suspend the creation of new reserves for semi-nomadic indigenous peoples who shun contact with outsiders and enable regional governments to reassess the need for existing and proposed reserves. The third bill worrying advocacy groups would limit the national government’s management of carbon credit schemes and the revenue they generate. All three bills are working their way through Congress as various regions of Peru are gripped by protests that began after former President Pedro Castillo... [Log in to read more]