Amendment to Peru law raises fears of Amazon rainforest destruction

Bogota: A recent amendment to Peru’s Forestry and Wildlife Law is drawing fierce backlash from environmental groups and Indigenous groups that warn it could accelerate deforestation in the Amazon rainforest under the guise of economic development.

The amendment eliminates the requirement that landowners or companies

get state authorisation before converting forested land to other uses. Critics say the change could legitimise years of illegal deforestation.

“To us, this is gravely concerning,” said Alvaro Masquez Salvador, a lawyer with the Indigenous Peoples programme at Peru’s Legal Defence Institute.

Masquez added that the reform sets a troubling precedent by “effectively privatising” land that Peru’s constitution defines as national patrimony. “Forests are not private property—they belong to the nation,” he said.

Supporters of the amendment, enacted in March, say it will stabilise Peru’s agricultural sector and provide farmers with greater legal certainty.

Peru holds the second-largest share of Amazon rainforest after Brazil, with over 70 million hectares — about 60 per cent of Peru’s territory, according to nonprofit Rainforest Trust. It’s one of the most biodiverse regions on the planet and home to more than 50 Indigenous peoples, some living in voluntary

isolation.