Peru sues Repsol for the oil spill on the coast of Lima and demands 4,300 million euros

• Environment Repsol was not aware of the magnitude of the oil spill on the coast of Peru "until a day later"

The

government has finally sued

for the oil spill off the coast of

.

The legal action, headed by the National Institute for the Defense of Competition and the Protection of Intellectual Property (Indecopi), has been filed with the Superior Court of Justice of Lima, with a request for compensation for damages of 4,500 million dollars (around 4,300 million euros).

This government agency values ​​the damage caused at

and the moral damage to consumers and users at 1,500 million.

This is the first case in Peru in which an international oil company is sued, although

and another series of companies are also included.

"The oil spill from the Repsol company affected more than 700,000 residents. Multiple beaches were closed, limiting public access, and shops, restaurants and tourist services also stopped working in the summer season. Several fishermen's associations in the coves from

a

were also affected," summarized

, president of Indecopi.

The stain extended more than 140 kilometers and affected the waters and the coast, even causing the death of fish, marine mammals and birds.

The ecological catastrophe in the waters off the Peruvian coast and on the beaches of

originated on January 15 due to "an uncontrolled movement when crude oil was being unloaded at terminal number two of the

refinery, " Repsol stressed.

The Spanish company was placed in the eye of the hurricane, although the internal investigations carried out by the multinational pointed to the captain of the

ship , with the Italian flag, as the main person responsible for the spill of almost one million liters of crude oil.

Repsol ruled immediately and described the lawsuit as

.

"It does not address the causes of the spill or the cleaning and remediation work already completed by Repsol, or the channels of care for those affected," replied the oil company, which since the accident put "all the means at its disposal to contain , clean and remediate the coastline, help the communities in the area and rescue and care for the affected fauna".

The cleaning operation was carried out against the clock to prevent the advance of the oil slick in the midst of the existing chaos in the Peruvian government headed by

, who in a few weeks changed his ministers several times.

Repsol compensated hundreds of fishermen and those affected in advance, in addition to paying more than 600,000 dollars in fines.

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