
Peru court rules in favor of Kichwa territorial rights in the Amazon
BOGOTA, Colombia — Peru's top court has issued a landmark ruling recognizing the territorial rights of the Kichwa people within a protected area in the Amazon — marking a major breakthrough for Indigenous land claims.
The decision affirms that Indigenous stewardship is fully compatible with conservation goals, setting a powerful precedent for rights-based forest protection in Peru, according to the Kichwa people and lawyers involved in the case.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Amazon's Return-to-Office Mandate Sparks Disability Complaints
(Bloomberg) -- Inc.'s hard-line stance on getting disabled employees to return to the office has sparked a backlash, with workers alleging the company is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act as well as their rights to collectively bargain. Shuttered NY College Has Alumni Fighting Over Its Future Trump's Military Parade Has Washington Bracing for Tanks and Weaponry NYC Renters Brace for Price Hikes After Broker-Fee Ban Do World's Fairs Still Matter? NY Long Island Rail Service Resumes After Grand Central Fire At least two employees have filed complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and the National Labor Relations Board, federal agencies that regulate working conditions. One of the workers said they provided the EEOC with a list of 18 'similarly situated' employees to emphasize that their experience isn't isolated and to help federal regulators with a possible investigation. Disabled workers frustrated with how Amazon is handling their requests for accommodations — including exemptions to a mandate that they report to the office five days a week — are also venting their displeasure on internal chat rooms and have encouraged colleagues to answer surveys about the policies. Amazon has been deleting such posts and warning that they violate rules governing internal communications. One employee said they were terminated and another said they were told to find a different position after advocating for disabled workers on employee message boards. Both filed complaints with the EEOC and NLRB. The company's use of artificial intelligence to help it manage employee requests for disability accommodations has also stirred internal opposition and could open the company to legal challenges. Company spokesperson Zoe Hoffmann said Amazon's Disability and Leave Services team ensures employees have access to the accommodations and adjustments they need to be effective and advance their careers. The process is empathetic, and the interactions aren't automated, she said. 'Amazon respects employees' rights to organize and doesn't interfere with these rights. We don't discriminate or retaliate against employees for engaging in organizing activities,' Hoffmann said in an emailed statement. 'We're committed to supporting our employees by providing effective accommodations that meet their individual needs and the needs of the business.' Bloomberg reported in November that Amazon was making it more difficult for staff with disabilities to win approval to work from home. The company implemented a more rigorous vetting process, both for new requests to work remotely and applications to extend existing arrangements. Affected employees had to participate in a 'multilevel leader review' and some were told monthlong trials would be used to determine if accommodations met their needs. Several employees told Bloomberg then that they believed the system was designed to deny work-from-home accommodations and prompt employees with disabilities to quit, which some have done. Amazon denied the system was designed to encourage people to resign. Since then, workers have mobilized against the policy. One employee repeatedly posted an online survey seeking colleagues' reactions, defying the company's demands to stop. The survey ultimately generated feedback from more than 200 workers even though Amazon kept deleting it, and the results reflected strong opposition to Amazon's treatment of disabled workers. More than 71% of disabled Amazon employees surveyed said the company had denied or failed to meet most of their accommodation requests, while half indicated they faced 'hostile' work environments after disclosing their disabilities and requesting accommodations. One respondent said they sought permission to work from home after suffering multiple strokes that prevented them from driving. Amazon suggested moving closer to the office and taking mass transit, the person said in the survey. Another respondent said they couldn't drive for longer than 15-minute intervals due to chronic pain. Amazon's recommendation was to pull over and stretch during their commute, which the employee said was unsafe since they drive on a busy freeway. Bloomberg couldn't verify the responses to the anonymous employee survey. Amazon didn't dispute the accounts and said it considered a range of solutions to disability accommodations, including changes to an employee's commute. Hoffmann, the spokesperson, said that when appropriate, Amazon adjusts schedules, lighting and desk assignments. It also offers job coaching. If warranted, the company might provide commuting adjustments. In rare circumstances, she said, employees with disabilities are allowed to work from home full time or part time. AI Risks Using AI to parse accommodation requests, read doctors' notes and make recommendations based on keywords has also generated internal opposition. Bloomberg reviewed screenshots from an in-house coding tool showing what appeared to be prompts designed to guide AI software through the process of evaluating and pulling data from documents filled out by employees and their physicians. The bots are given context — such as the fact that injuries can occur on one or both arms — suggestions of follow-up questions and a lengthy list of potential accommodations for employees with low vision. There's also extensive guidance that may be intended to keep the software from asking unnecessary questions or generating irrelevant data. Amazon has long used automation to more efficiently manage its enormous workforce. But deploying such tools for sensitive personnel matters risks missing nuances about an employee's situation that a human might spot and take into consideration. Doing so also could lead to legal complications should employees claim the software introduced errors into the process. And the use of AI risks further alienating employees, who are already expected to engage with chatbots and automated systems, rather than colleagues, for a wide range of workplace tasks. 'It's impossible to imagine that companies will not be using AI for any number of needs, including this one,' said Chai Feldblum, a former commissioner with the EEOC. But in the event of a legal challenge, she said, Amazon would have to prove that providing an accommodation to an employee placed an unreasonable burden on the company. 'I would not leave that final judgment to AI,' Feldblum said. Amazon's partly automated accommodation and internal job transfer processes are key elements of the employee complaints to the EEOC, with workers arguing that it is insufficiently interactive to provide a complete picture of a person's physical limitations and whether reasonable accommodations could help them do their jobs. 'If there's an indication that Amazon is using some rote artificial intelligence process to manage these requests, that's not interactive,' said David Hutt, legal director of the National Disability Rights Network. 'Courts are pretty skeptical of these kind of boilerplate accommodations that aren't specifically tailored around the person's disability and their job function.' Two employees said Amazon cited its 'solicitation' policy when deleting their posts from employee communication channels. The policy prohibits personnel from asking others for financial contributions, disseminating advertising materials or gathering signatures on petitions unless they have permission from the company, according to documents reviewed by Bloomberg. Preventing employees from discussing the workplace could backfire if the NLRB determines that doing so interferes with their protected rights to organize and debate working conditions, said Kate Bronfenbrenner, the director of labor education research at Cornell University. 'If two or more people are in any way penalized or coerced against exercising their rights, it's a violation,' Bronfenbrenner said. 'Whether this gets enforced is another question,' she added, citing budget cuts to various federal agencies. With internal communication channels being scrutinized, Amazon employees posted a petition to calling on the company to reform its policies. The dispute could affect thousands of Amazon workers. An internal Slack channel for employees with disabilities has 13,000 members, one of the people said. Amazon said it doesn't track the total number of disabled workers since employee disclosure is voluntary. The rise of remote work during the pandemic helped boost the number of disabled people with jobs to almost 23% last year, close to a record high since the US Bureau of Labor Statistics began tracking the metric in 2008. Working from home can benefit people with a range of disabilities, including chronic allergies, limited mobility and anxiety disorders. Amazon employees have lodged complaints about workplace conditions in the past. The EEOC as recently as last year was investigating allegations that the company discriminated against pregnant warehouse workers in California, Connecticut, New Jersey and North Carolina by denying their accommodation requests. An agency spokesperson declined to provide an update regarding the status of the investigation. In 2021, Amazon settled a dispute with two workers at its Seattle headquarters who alleged they were fired in retaliation for their workplace activism regarding climate change and working conditions, which included inviting colleagues to a virtual event meant to connect tech employees with warehouse employees. Their allegations led to a labor board complaint accusing Amazon of unfair labor practices. American Mid: Hampton Inn's Good-Enough Formula for World Domination New Grads Join Worst Entry-Level Job Market in Years The Spying Scandal Rocking the World of HR Software US Tariffs Threaten to Derail Vietnam's Historic Industrial Boom As Companies Abandon Climate Pledges, Is There a Silver Lining? ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Sign in to access your portfolio


New York Post
5 hours ago
- New York Post
Tech giants including Oracle, Lockheed Martin quietly fund Trump's military parade
President Trump's military parade this weekend is expected to be a costly display of pomp and circumstance – and it's being bankrolled by some major Big Tech giants. Oracle, Lockheed Martin, Palantir, Coinbase and Amazon have recently donated to Amrica250, the nonprofit raising funds for the nation's semiquincentennial anniversary, the organization said. 'Many of these sponsors will support the upcoming grand military parade being held in Washington, DC, on Saturday, June 14, to celebrate the US Army's 250th birthday,' America250 said in a press release this week. Advertisement 5 On Saturday, President Trump will host a military parade in honor of the 250th anniversary of the US armed forces. Getty Images Oracle confirmed it is sponsoring Saturday's parade, as did Exiger, an AI-powered supply chain management company, and Lockheed Martin, which called it a 'momentous occasion.' Palantir, Coinbase and Amazon did not respond to The Post's requests for comment. Advertisement The nonprofit has listed several other sponsors on its website, including Coca-Cola; Phorm Energy, an energy drink from Anheuser-Busch; UFC; Scott's Miracle Gro; and Stellantis auto brands Chrysler, Jeep, Ram and Dodge. The parade marks 250 years since the Continental Army was formed to take on the British – but it's faced substantial heat from critics who argue it's an over-the-top party for Trump's 79th birthday, which also falls on Saturday. 5 Amazon is among several companies that have recently donated to the nonprofit raising funds for the nation's 250th anniversary. Sundry Photography – With flyovers, fireworks, rows of tanks and military bands, it's expected to cost tens of millions of dollars, which Trump dismissed as 'peanuts compared to the value of doing it.' Advertisement Several America250 sponsors appeared to distance themselves from the parade, instead focusing on next year's events celebrating 250 years of US independence. FedEx confirmed it is sponsoring America250's other events. A source close to the matter told The Post this does not include Saturday's parade. Walmart donated a whopping $500,000 to America250, but clarified those funds are not backing the parade. 5 With flyovers, fireworks, rows of tanks and military bands, it's expected to cost tens of millions of dollars, which Trump dismissed as 'peanuts compared to the value of doing it.' AP Advertisement 'This funding will support the US Army's National Museum Revolutionary War Exhibit and celebrations honoring youth who have signed up to serve in the Navy and Marine Corps,' a Walmart spokesperson told The Post. 'While we are not sponsors of the Army's parade, we are providing water for attendees.' Meta was listed as a sponsor in an America250 press release in May, though the Facebook owner confirmed it cut ties with the nonprofit in 2022. 5 Oracle confirmed it is sponsoring Saturday's parade. REUTERS 'While we are not currently a sponsor, we have had a historical relationship with America250, and we are actively exploring potential partnership opportunities with them in the future,' a Meta spokesperson told The Post. That same year, four female employees at the nonprofit filed a lawsuit alleging 'cronyism, self-dealing, mismanagement of funds, potentially unlawful contracting practices and wasteful spending,' as well as a toxic, sexist work environment. One of the plaintiffs said she expressed concerns about a 'potentially unlawful quid-pro-quio' in which Meta would give a $10 million donation in exchange for rights to map national parks with drones for its 'own business purposes,' the Washington Post reported at the time. 5 AI software firm Palantir is also a sponsor. Bloomberg via Getty Images Advertisement The plaintiffs settled with America250 in 2024, according to court filings. The nonprofit did not respond to The Post's requests for comment. A spokesperson for Meta declined to comment on the allegations in the suit and did not respond to an inquiry about whether a donation was made to America250 before the contract was killed. Advertisement America250 was created as a bipartisan initiative by Congress after the passage of the US Semiquincentennial Commission Act of 2016. Its members include Attorney General Pam Bondi, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as well as Republican and Democratic senators – including Sen. Alex Padilla (D – Calif.), who was recently removed and handcuffed after interrupting Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's press briefing.


Bloomberg
5 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Colombia Activates ‘Escape Clause' to Rule That Curbed Debt
Colombia activated an 'escape clause' to suspend borrowing limits and allow the government to run higher fiscal deficits. During his presentation of the nation's fiscal plan, Finance Minister German Avila told reporters that not to have taken this move would have endangered macroeconomic stability.