On April 12, an oil barge carrying 10,500 barrels of crude was kidnapped on the Corrientes River in Loreto. An armed group of approximately 25 people intercepted a river convoy transporting the vessel, forcing the crew to divert their route to the port of the community of Providencia. The company RICSA reported that, in addition to the retention of the barge, seven of its workers were assaulted and are under threat from their captors, who are demanding a ransom of S/2 million. According to Paúl Vigo, RICSA’s operations manager, the employees suffered physical and verbal assaults during the attack. RICSA has filed complaints for kidnapping and extortion with the Provincial Criminal Prosecutor’s Office of Nauta. They identified several individuals responsible, including local community leaders. The company warned that improper handling of the barge could lead to an environmental disaster, in addition to affecting energy supply in the region. Since April 17, the Port Captaincy of Iquitos and the National Police have been notified to intervene in the situation. Authorities have initiated preliminary investigations for a possible case of organized crime.
