"Environmental package": Keiko Fujimori's faculties raise alert over setbacks in environmental protection and indigenous rights

Peru's government is preparing to introduce a significant "environmental package" aimed at streamlining investment processes. The proposed measures seek to accelerate project approvals by reducing evaluation timelines, simplifying environmental impact assessments, and implementing the principle of positive administrative silence, which automatically approves permits if authorities do not respond within a set period.

This initiative, however, has raised alarms among environmental specialists and indigenous rights advocates. They express serious concerns that the proposed flexibilities could lead to a rollback in environmental protections. Critics argue that these changes risk weakening crucial oversight mechanisms designed to safeguard natural resources and biodiversity.

Furthermore, experts warn that the "environmental package" could negatively impact protected areas, potentially leading to increased deforestation or degradation. There is also a significant apprehension that these policy shifts could exacerbate existing conflicts with indigenous communities, whose territories and livelihoods are often directly affected by large-scale investment projects. The potential for weakened controls and increased social and environmental risks looms large over the government's push for faster development.