Thanks to Carolyn Clarke for bringing this article to our attention! While the airport does indeed offer a chance for increased tourism and therefore more economic growth for the Sacred Valley region of Peru, there are definitely some negative impacts that will arise from the airport, and this type of detrimental development is the type that Mosqoy is actively working against. The airport poses a great threat to the cultural heritage and Quechua community of Chinchero, which is one of the most respected traditional community of the region. Many indigenous people have been bought off their farms to make way for the airport, and forced to leave their community, causing them to change professions, lose their ties to their land and family, and stop weaving and farming. Despite being compensated well, land in the region is increasingly scarce with foreign entities buying it up to develop resorts and tourist hot spots. (And this will be increasingly common as the airport brings more tourism). Families that have traditionally made their livelihood through subsistence farming and weaving will lose many opportunities they once had, as land becomes more expensive and large mass-produced items undercut traditional textile art. While it will bring immediate economic opportunity, the money will most likely not go into the hands of the locals, and it will instead create a larger dependency cycle. We believe the airport is another example of a top-down, unsustainable development mechanism that ignores potential social and environmental impacts. Mosqoy supports collaborative and responsible growth measures that focus on indigenous rights and opportunities for inclusive development, and that include the community voice in the decision-making process.
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 20:30:01 +0000
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