One step forward, two steps back: Peru’s approach to indigenous land and resources and the law

Issues of access to land and natural resources have been the dominating feature of Peruvian history since colonization and even before. While vastly rich gold and silver mines placed Peru at the centre of the Spanish imperial domination system – setting the foundations for the country’s land tenure and property relations to this date – productive land, on the other hand, is traditionally scarce and has often been at the centre of controversial events (Hudson 1992).