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19 May 2009 | |

Tanks and Arrows

Increasing tension in Peruvian Amazon

1:52 minutes
Download: MP3 (1.3 Mb)

The situation is getting worse by the day, and the positions are getting more radical, especially that of the Peruvian Executive Branch. This morning, President Alan García signed a decree to authorize the intervention of the Armed Forces in the conflict with the indigenous communities of the Amazon region, who have mobilized to avoid the privatization of natural resources.

In addition to the militarization of the area, the Peruvian government is using legal tools to put a definite end to the claims.

A statement issued yesterday by the Inter-Ethnic Association of the Peruvian Forest (Aidesep) expressed that their chair, Alberto Pizango, will testify tomorrow in a provincial court since he is accused of “rebellion, sedition and riots”, according to court subpoena sent to the organization.

Upon receiving the notification, Aidesep exposed a campaign by the government authorities against indigenous leaders, and complained about the lack of valid negotiators to discuss the important issues, such as the impacts of the privatization of resources on the communities.

The indigenous people state they will end with the mobilizations if the nine legislative decrees, which benefit private capitals with the concession of extractive enterprises in the Amazon, especially oil, gas and mining projects, are annulled.

The protests began over a month ago, and include street mobilizations in solidarity in several cities, as well as land and water blockades. Another statement issued by Aidesep, published yesterday, warns the ministers of Defense and Interior that the indigenous groups will not give in “to government intimidation”, clearly referring to the presence of military forces in the area.

(CC) 2009 Real World Radio

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