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Washington, DC protesters at the Embassy of Peru this afternoon.Photos by Carlos A. Quiroz
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Today a group of activists, students, American, Peruvian citizens and people from all walks of life gathered in Washington, DC, and Los Angeles in the United States, to express their protest against the criminal actions taken by Peruvian president Alan Garcia and his cabinet, who ordered abusive attacks on Indigenous peoples of the Amazon of Perú last weekend. Also last weekend protests were held in Peruvian cities of Puno and Arequipa, and reports of Police shootings and violence have been reported.
As we remember, the violent operations of the Peruvian police resulted in a true genocide of civilians by Nacional Police officers, attacking Indigenous civilians and even the violent response of a group of Peruvian Army Reserve soldiers who got involved in support of their own Native relatives. This is something few Peruvian media talk about.
Then, came the response of Indigenous groups who had kidnapped police forces and killed several of them “because you killed my brothers, now you have to die” was said to them as a survivor officer recalled while talking to the media. This has been another unfortunate result of the ongoing violent crisis.
As we remember, the violent operations of the Peruvian police resulted in a true genocide of civilians by Nacional Police officers, attacking Indigenous civilians and even the violent response of a group of Peruvian Army Reserve soldiers who got involved in support of their own Native relatives. This is something few Peruvian media talk about.
Then, came the response of Indigenous groups who had kidnapped police forces and killed several of them “because you killed my brothers, now you have to die” was said to them as a survivor officer recalled while talking to the media. This has been another unfortunate result of the ongoing violent crisis.
This is being used widely by the Peruvian government to portray Indigenous peoples as “terrorists” and to prosecute the movement leaders. Alberto Pizango, the most prominent Amazon leader and a well known human rights activists is now under a bench warrant issued by Lima.
Now there are many versions of what happened in the Bagua region, and I have posted extensively about this here. But my friends in Lima are telling me that they are only getting one side of the story: Peruvian media is making it look as if the Native peoples started all the violence, instigated by leftists groups and right-wing politicians are blaming the crisis on leftist parties –including Ollanta Humala, who not surprisingly is one of the few politicians openly supporting the Indigenous movement. Alan Garcia has even suggested that Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez is behind the Indigenous uprising, and that the protests are part of “an international conspiracy”. Unbelievable.
We have to remember that dozens of Peruvian people have died to defend their common oppressor: the current government of Peru. In Bagua, there were farmers, children, students, workers, policemen, firemen, activists, parents, people who are not the beneficiaries of a fee trade model pushed by the U.S. and Peru governments through the Peru FTA. We know this is about multinational corporations and the benefits of the few rich elites of Peru and other countries.
It is outrageous to say the least, that right now the Peruvian media –under government control mostly and based in Lima- is trying to blame the violence on the Native peoples, and they only honor the unfortunate deaths of police officers in special ceremonies where the Peruvian flag is placed on the fallen police coffins. No official ceremonies are held for Indigenous civilians.
Now there is evidence of an obvious manipulation of the death toll, according to official estimates –of course!- there are 22 policemen and about 9 civilians killed. This cannot be true. Witnesses including a priest in Bagua said that a mass grave was found today, but government officials have denied such thing. Now an investigation is being requested by a group of activists, including the Ombudsman office, the Catholic church and human rights advocates. What very few are mentinoning is that there are hundreds of Indigenous men and women detained by the Peruvian Police and their safety is not guaranteed. Also over 40 people are still missing.
Meanwhile tonight finally we know that Amazon leader and AIDESEP president Alberto Pizango, has taken refuge in the Nicaraguan embassy in Lima as the Garcia administration issued an arrest warrant on charges of sedition, conspiracy and rebellion.
Now there are many versions of what happened in the Bagua region, and I have posted extensively about this here. But my friends in Lima are telling me that they are only getting one side of the story: Peruvian media is making it look as if the Native peoples started all the violence, instigated by leftists groups and right-wing politicians are blaming the crisis on leftist parties –including Ollanta Humala, who not surprisingly is one of the few politicians openly supporting the Indigenous movement. Alan Garcia has even suggested that Venezuela’s Hugo Chavez is behind the Indigenous uprising, and that the protests are part of “an international conspiracy”. Unbelievable.
We have to remember that dozens of Peruvian people have died to defend their common oppressor: the current government of Peru. In Bagua, there were farmers, children, students, workers, policemen, firemen, activists, parents, people who are not the beneficiaries of a fee trade model pushed by the U.S. and Peru governments through the Peru FTA. We know this is about multinational corporations and the benefits of the few rich elites of Peru and other countries.
It is outrageous to say the least, that right now the Peruvian media –under government control mostly and based in Lima- is trying to blame the violence on the Native peoples, and they only honor the unfortunate deaths of police officers in special ceremonies where the Peruvian flag is placed on the fallen police coffins. No official ceremonies are held for Indigenous civilians.
Now there is evidence of an obvious manipulation of the death toll, according to official estimates –of course!- there are 22 policemen and about 9 civilians killed. This cannot be true. Witnesses including a priest in Bagua said that a mass grave was found today, but government officials have denied such thing. Now an investigation is being requested by a group of activists, including the Ombudsman office, the Catholic church and human rights advocates. What very few are mentinoning is that there are hundreds of Indigenous men and women detained by the Peruvian Police and their safety is not guaranteed. Also over 40 people are still missing.
Meanwhile tonight finally we know that Amazon leader and AIDESEP president Alberto Pizango, has taken refuge in the Nicaraguan embassy in Lima as the Garcia administration issued an arrest warrant on charges of sedition, conspiracy and rebellion.
Protests in Peru last weekend
Native groups have taken took over the facilities of Argentinean oil company Pluspetrol in Loreto, where production had to stop.
In Peru’s northern city of Chiclayo, hundreds of college students organized a rally at the University Nacional "Pedro Ruiz Gallo" as a sign of support for the Indigenous communities. The crowd was mostly of students, teachers and neighbors who protested against violent attacks on Native peoples. Suddently, police arrived to provoke them –a source tells by email- even though the protest was peaceful and apolitical and a short confrontation occurred when the Police tanks enter the college campus and forced students to leave. Tomorrow there will be a vigil, to honor the loss of one of the students whose father was killed in Bagua.
Similar rallies occurred in Puno and Arequipa on Sunday June 7, when a national holiday celebration (Francisco Bolognesi) turned into protest rallies. In Puno, Police repressed the protesters and detained some civilians. In Arequipa the president of the region and the mayor of the city joined the protests and suspended a military parade. In Lima, the 7 de junio parade showed a strong military presence, which a friend who lives in the area described as “disturbing and frightening…”
Seven Bagua men captured when trying to enter Bolivia
A local Puno newspaper reports that Peruvian Police is stopping everyone in the border check points with Bolivia. Seven men from Bagua were detained when trying to cross the border, only because of their origin and in an attempt to capture Amazon leaders currently requested by Peruvian Justice. There are reports that 1,200 police agents have been deployed to Puno for this task.
Request for Alan Garcia to resign
Last Saturday hundreds of Indigenous leaders of the Amazon regions of Peru gathered at the city of Tarapoto for the IV Amazon Summit, where they agreed to go on a strike in all their regions until the conflicting decrees that created the current crisis are repealed. They also request that president Garcia must be brought to justice and he should resign, and demanded for a new national Constitution. After the meeting leaders returned to their communities in northern Peru where they say will be organizing more protest actions until the Lima government restores dialogue and stops the prosecution of their leaders.
Thursday June 11 a National Protest Day in Peru
In the his last public appearance to date, AIDESEP leader Alberto Pizango announced a national Indigenous protest to be held this Thursday June 11. This is supported by several organizations as the national workers union Confederación Nacional de Trabajadores del Perú (CGTP), the farmers union Confederación Nacional Agraria (CNA), the Andean Indigenous organization of communities affected by Mining Confederación Nacional de Comunidades del Perú Afectadas por la Minería (CONACAMI), and the farmers organization Confederación Campesina del Perú.
Several events are planned in Lima, Puno, Chiclayo, Cusco, Arequipa, Iquitos, and other cities of Peru where students, workers and concerned citizens will march in the streets asking for peace and to stop violence.
In Cusco, there will be a rally with the presence of the Amazon nations affected by the natural gas project of Camisea, which opened with the personal intervention of G.W. Bush. Also Quechua Indigenous communities from the region will walk to the city’s Wakaypata main square to show solidarity with the national protest.
In Lima, there will be a rally at Dos de Mayo circle, starting at 2:00 PM. where there are expected to meet thousands of people who will march to the Palace of Government in downtown Lima. Students from universities UNI, Catolica and San Marcos have planned to hold also marches and join the protest. Leftist leader Ollanta Humala has announced his support for this event and he might join the rally as well. Union leaders are requesting for president Alan Garcia and his cabinet to take responsibility of the current crisis in Peru, the worst since he took power in 2006.
Currently...
Peruvian Army is in control of Bagua, where civilians can only transit with a special pass or salvoconducto. There are thousands of Indigenous protesters blocking roads in Yurimaguas, and the government has announced its intentions to send Police forces to repress them. The Ombudsman office has made a call for the government to avoid more violence.
Please read the blog of Ben Powless, a Mohawk Native activist who is currently in Lima following the events closely, and who describes the current situation as “calm at the center of the storm…”
Finally for now, if you can please join again this amazing Facebook group of Solidarity with Peru, which in only three days has already 1,500 members from all over the world. Is a great way to find useful links and info on the ongoing crisis of the Peruvian Amazon. Until next time.
Please read the blog of Ben Powless, a Mohawk Native activist who is currently in Lima following the events closely, and who describes the current situation as “calm at the center of the storm…”
Finally for now, if you can please join again this amazing Facebook group of Solidarity with Peru, which in only three days has already 1,500 members from all over the world. Is a great way to find useful links and info on the ongoing crisis of the Peruvian Amazon. Until next time.
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