The Peruvian government declared a state of environmental emergency on the 20th after an oil spill caused by a volcanic eruption in Tonga polluted 21 beaches in Peru.

  The Peruvian government said an Italian-flagged tanker had spilled 6,000 barrels of oil in the waters off the La Pampila refinery on the Pacific coast on the 15th.

The refinery involved is affiliated with the Spanish company Repsol.

According to sources, the Peruvian authorities requested compensation from the company, but were rejected.