Riots in Peru over mining royalties and Garcia's economic policies
People in Tacna, in southern Peru has come out to the streets and set several public buildings on fire. Chaos and confusion in the border with Chile.
For months, the people of Moquegua, Peru have been protesting so that the centralist government of Lima would direct a fair percentage of the royalties produced by its rich mining extraction industry.
Photo La Primera
In June of this year, the social protests reached a boiling point with hundreds getting injured after the Peruvian National Police violent repression.
Now that the Moqueguanos obtained a victory in Peru's Congress, the people of neighboring region of Tacna (border with Chile) are protesting too. The southern region of Peru is the site of extremely rich mining sites, producers of Copper mostly, and the two regions in dispute (Moquegua and Tacna) are trying to get the best share of the mining profits. Ridiculous.
As the government of Lima -a centralist administration who decides where the money goes- has decided finally to give Moquegua the right percentage, spoiled Tacna says hell no! The new law was enough for Tacna's people to come out and burn down government buildings and block roads.
La Primera, a newspaper of Lima reports "Now Tacna rises up":
- Moquegua celebra modificatoria de la ley del canon y tacneños salen a las calles. Manifestantes incendian locales de la Gobernación, Sunat, Radio Uno, Apra y cortan agua a zona minera de la región Moquegua.
Miles de tacneños ganaron ayer las calles e incendiaron el local de la Gobernación de Tacna, causando destrozos también a la sede de la Sunat, minutos después que el pleno del Congreso aprobara la modificación de la ley del canon minero.
Thousands of Tacneños -especially young people- took over the streets and burned down government building and the local branch of Apra, which is President Alan Garcia's political party. The president of Tacna region Raúl Urviola has announced that a general strike is to be hold until the Congress renegotiate this profits distribution legislation.
A TV station of Lima produced this video - in Spanish - showing the damage produced by the rioters that reached the border of Peru and Chile.
Some Peruvian are saying that the protesters were paid by certain local interest groups. This is what Reuters is saying:
- Thousands protest as Peru cuts mining royalties
Reuters - By Diego Ore
LIMA, Oct 30 (Reuters) - Thousands of protesters in Peru's Tacna province blocked the Pan-American highway on Thursday after Congress approved a bill that would cut mining royalties for the province and give them to neighboring Moquegua.
It was the third day of protests in the two provinces, which have been locked in a dispute over how to share millions of dollars in mining taxes paid by Southern Copper Corp (PCU.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), one of the world's largest mining companies.
The legislation, which overhauls how the royalties are distributed to all provinces in a country with hundreds of mines, was approved by a large majority in Congress and must still be signed into law by President Alan Garcia.
"They have tricked us. We are ready to fight," said Juvenal Ordonez, a member of Congress who represents Tacna.
Protesters set fire to the office of an ally of Garcia, ransacked offices of his APRA party, and stoned the national tax agency. Three police officers were injured.
Demonstrators also created havoc in front of the Chilean consulate in the city of Tacna, and seven protesters were arrested for crossing into Chile to draw attention to their demand to revoke the law.
Garcia has supported the bill, which would assess taxes based on how much mineral wealth a mine produces. The current system levies taxes based on how much dirt a mine moves.
The bill has been most controversial in the south of Peru. This year, Moquegua expects to get 20 percent of taxes paid by Southern Copper that are distributed to provinces, while 80 percent will go to Tacna.
Southern Copper operates the Cuajone mine and Ilo smelter in Moquegua and the Toquepala mine in Tacna.
Politicians in both provinces say they need the revenue to pay for basic services like water, electricity and education.
Moquegua residents celebrated after the bill was approved, while political leaders in Tacna said they were digging in for a long fight.
"The change in the law is an offense, and requires that we take radical action," said Mario Copa, mayor of the city of Candarave in Tacna.
Despite seven years of fast economic growth, some 40 percent of Peruvians live in poverty and critics say Garcia has not done enough to make sure that a boom in mining exports trickles down to the poor.
Peru's prime minister, Yehude Simon, a prominent leftist who was picked this month to lead Garcia's centrist cabinet and to prevent more waves of protests that have hobbled the Andean country this year, promised to crack down on demonstrators.
"People must be held responsible and punished to the full extent of the law," Simon said. (Additional reporting by Monica Vargas in Santiago and Terry Wade in Lima; Editing by Anthony Boadle)
The Peruvian government needs to put more efforts on promoting social justice and fairness in the distribution of its resources and income, among all its regions. But Tacna and Moquegua should work together so the violence stops for once. The riots in Tacna -unlike the ones in Moquegua- are plain unnecessary and do not benefit anyone. President Garcia economic policies should not promote social instability and division among Peruvians.
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Cuba y el Perú
Rincón del autor. Se sienten en un ambiente relativamente protegido, pese a que ganan apenas entre 10 y 15 dólares al mes más una canasta que no alcanza sino para unos días
Por: Jaime de Althaus Guarderas
Los cubanos tienen acceso en sus televisores a cinco canales de televisión, los cinco del Estado. Uno de ellos está dedicado al deporte, otros dos a programas educativos, y los restantes a noticias nacionales e internacionales (convenientemente seleccionadas para mostrar lo mal que están las cosas en otros países), un programa político llamado "Mesa Redonda", cuyo conductor es un funcionario ideológico del gobierno, reportajes sobre la manera esforzada y eficiente en que el gobierno está enfrentando tal o cual problema, documentales sobre la revolución y telenovelas.
El periodismo es propaganda del régimen. Es una saga de la revolución y de la labor del gobierno mezclada con medias verdades y desinformación. El clima que se crea es el de un país en el que sus autoridades están junto con el pueblo luchando por un destino colectivo mejor, y en el que cualquier adversidad es culpa de la naturaleza o del imperio. La gente, entonces, se siente en un ambiente relativamente protegido, pese a que gana apenas entre 10 y 15 dólares al mes de salario más una canasta familiar que no alcanza --salvo el arroz-- sino para unos días, y que muchos viven prácticamente sin luz porque no tienen para pagarla y deban robar o "resolver" --como le dicen-- en su trabajo para sobrevivir.
El contraste con el ambiente público en un país como el Perú es absoluto. Los peruanos tenemos acceso a muchos más canales de televisión y solo uno es estatal, muy criticado porque eventualmente se atreve a pasar algún discurso presidencial. La competencia entre los canales les lleva a privilegiar la noticia mala o escandalosa, los crímenes y violaciones, los accidentes fatales, el 'chuponeo', la corrupción, los enfrentamientos verbales, la protesta violenta, etc. Lo mismo ocurre con la prensa escrita.
El ciudadano, entonces, si bien se mantiene eventualmente entretenido, no se siente partícipe de un proyecto común sino que vive en un ambiente de incertidumbre en el que el Gobierno carece de autoridad, credibilidad y legitimidad. Esto no significa que la causa de esta precariedad política sea la libertad de prensa o a la manera como se ejerce ni que la democracia sea intrínsecamente ingobernable. Pero sí es cierto que su labor es más compleja y difícil y demanda un mayor grado de autocontrol y responsabilidad en los ciudadanos, que sea la contraparte del nivel de autonomía e iniciativa que tienen y que, sin duda, en el régimen cubano no existe. Allí son todos menores de edad.
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