[Aztlan] Attack on a Peaceful Indigenous Blockade in the PeruvianAmazon

[Jaime Pretell]

The Comercio version
http://www.elcomercio.com.pe/noticia/296605/nueve-policias-muertos-dejan-enfrentamientos-entre-fuerzas-orden-nativos-bagua

Baño de sangre en Bagua: 25 civiles y nueve policías muertos
16:00 | El Colegio Médico de Chachapoyas y la ministra Mercedes Cabanillas 
dieron las cifras.

Al menos 25 civiles y 9 policías han muerto hasta ahora en los 
enfrentamientos registrados durante el desalojo de manifestantes de la 
carretera Fernando Belaunde, en el departamento de Amazonas.
La ministra del Interior, Mercedes Cabanillas, confirmó que hasta el momento 
nueve policías han fallecido y siete han resultado heridos, debido al 
enfrentamiento con los civiles de origen nativo en Bagua.

Indicó que 30 civiles han quedado heridos de bala y que otros 50 presentan 
heridas leves y son tratados ambulatoriamente.

En tanto, el Colegio Médico de Chachapoyas, en la región donde ocurren los 
hechos, señaló que la cifra de civiles fallecidos ascendió a 25.

"Estamos en un proceso de manipulación política. Los nativos no son ningunos 
santos, han baleado a la policía. Tiene que ampliarse el estado de 
emergencia a otras zonas y deben participar las Fuerzas Armadas. ¿Dónde está 
el Ministerio Público?", dijo la ministra Cabanillas.

"No justifica nada esa violencia que han desarrollado contra nuestra Policía 
Nacional. Acá había todo un plan, una fabulación. Pizango es el autor 
original y algunos lo defienden. El cuerpo de un mayor fallecido fue 
desnudado y los nativos se vistieron con sus ropas", agregó.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Elaine Schele" <elaineschele at gmail.com>
To: "Aztlan" <aztlan at lists.famsi.org>
Sent: Friday, June 05, 2009 6:06 PM
Subject: [Aztlan] Attack on a Peaceful Indigenous Blockade in the 
PeruvianAmazon


> >From Reuters News Service and Amazon Watch
>
> Police Violently Attack Peaceful Indigenous Blockade in the Peruvian
> Amazon, Leaving Four Dead and 18 Injured
>
> BAGUA, Peru, June 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Amazon Watch reports
> that at approximately 5 a.m. this morning, the Peruvian military
> police staged a violent raid on a group of indigenous people at a
> peaceful blockade on a road outside of Bagua, in northern Peruvian
> Amazon.  Several thousand Awajun and Wambis indigenous peoples were
> forcibly dispersed by tear gas and real bullets, among them are
> reports of at least 18 injured and four confirmed dead, although the
> toll is expected to rise.
>
> At 2 a.m. police approached demonstrators as they were sleeping along
> the Belaunde Terry road. Demonstrators refused to move the roadblock
> as helicopters dropped teargas bombs. Eyewitnesses report that police
> attacked from both sides firing real bullets into the crowd as people
> fled into the hills. As the unarmed demonstrators were killed and
> injured, some wrestled the police and took away their guns and fought
> back in self-defense resulting in the death of several police
> officers.
>
> The chief of police claimed that protestors were armed, necessitating
> the use of gunfire, a claim refuted by dozens of eyewitnesses
> including local journalists who report the demonstrators only had
> traditional spears and in no way provoked violence. The Garcia
> Government yesterday issued an order for the police to begin forcibly
> removing indigenous demonstrations that have paralyzed the Amazon for
> 56 days.
>
> Gregor MacLennan of Amazon Watch stated:  "It is absolutely untrue
> that indigenous peoples provoked violence. Rather, they are engaged in
> non-violent civil disobedience in the tradition of Martin Luther King
> and Mahatma Gandhi.  It is the Peruvian Government forces that have
> provoked violence against peaceful people who are trying to safeguard
> the Amazon for future generations for all Peruvians."
>
> Indigenous peoples have vowed to continue protests until Congress
> revokes the controversial decrees issued by President Garcia to
> implement the Free Trade Agreement with the United States. Recently,
> the constitutional committee of Congress ruled that legislative decree
> 994 and 1090 were unconstitutional. The full Congress was scheduled to
> debate decree 1090 yesterday, however, Garcia's party prevented the
> debate.
>
> The protests have provoked national debate about government policies
> in the Amazon. Human rights organizations are calling for solidarity
> demonstrations at Peruvian Embassies worldwide.  AIDESEP, the national
> indigenous organization of Peru has called for a nationwide general
> strike starting June 11th.
>
> Background information available at www.amazonwatch.org, press.
> Contact Andrew Millerandrew at amazonwatch.org.
>
> Andrew Miller of Amazon Watch, +1-202-423-4828, andrew at amazonwatch.org
>
> Elaine
> http://volunteermayameetings.blogspot.com/
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