Peru indigenous leaders push quick Amazon protection vote, defying oil industry

An undated image shows an aerial view of indigenous people gathered by a riverbank in the Peruvian Amazon, where communities with little contact with the outside world are calling for tougher legislation to keep out oil, logging and mining companies. Archivos del Centro de documentacion de AIDESEP/via REUTERS. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.

LIMA (Reuters) - Peru's indigenous leaders have been lobbying lawmakers to pass a bill to declare swathes of virgin Amazon rainforest off limits to outsiders, but they fear opposition by the oil industry may scupper a rare opportunity to secure a vote this week.

With concerns growing that the coronavirus pandemic could devastate remote communities, Congress is considering whether to fast track a bill to better protect a string of indigenous territories near the border with Ecuador and Brazil.