March 12, 2016

Amazonian leader receives indigenous award for rights advocacy

Indigenous leader and Rainforest Foundation UK (RFUK) partner Ruth Buendía has been awarded the Bartolomé de las Casas prize for her commitment to standing up for the human and environmental rights of the Asháninka people in the Peruvian Amazon.

The jury, acting for the Spanish Foreign Ministry’s Secretary of State for International Cooperation and for Ibero-America together with Casa de America, praisedher activism that helped to halt the development of the Patizipatango dam, which would have flooded the rainforest home of 10,000 indigenous people.

Ruth, who is the president of the Central Asháninka in the River Ene (CARE) is also the recipient of this year’s Goldman Environmental Prize.

Andean Amazon Co-ordinator for RFUK, Aldo Soto, congratulated Ruth on her award.

“This award is very meaningful as it helps to highlight the unsustainable development of hydropower projects in the Amazon. We are very proud that Ruth’s dedication has again been recognised at such a high level.”

The Bartolome de las Casas award was established in 1991 to recognise outstanding contributions and leadership in promoting rights and values of indigenous peoples.