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Indigenous Demonstrations Shut Down Roads and River Traffic in Peruvian Amazon

Posted on: Thursday, 16 April 2009, 10:15 CDT

Prime Minister Agrees to Meet with Indigenous Leaders on Monday

LIMA, Peru, April 16 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following was issued today by Amazon Watch:

Thousands of indigenous people are blockading roads and river traffic throughout the Amazon in peaceful protests demanding the repeal of new laws rolling back indigenous land rights and allowing water privatization.

Indigenous organizations say the decrees allow a rush of private investments in resource extraction on their lands and stripping away rights to their ancestral territory. Peaceful demonstrations shut down fluvial traffic along the Napo and Corrientes Rivers, temporarily stopped Pluspetrol's oil operations, closed down roads in the Cusco and Madre de Dios departments and interrupted train service to Machu Picchu.

Peruvian Prime Minister Yehude Simon has finally agreed to meet with indigenous representatives next Monday. The government appeared surprised by the growing protests.

"We are opposed to development that destroys the rainforest for profit of a few individuals and companies. We seek development in harmony with the environment, where all indigenous peoples can participate and benefit," says Alberto Pizango Chota, President of the national indigenous organization AIDESEP.

Many are worried that new laws, fast-tracked for the Free Trade Agreement with the U.S. will harm indigenous communities whose land titles have not yet been formalized by the government.

Earlier in the week, the Peruvian authorities called out troops to confront protesters in what organizers saw as an act of provocation.

"We are calling on the Prime Minister to set aside hostile intentions and recognize that acts of provocation are not the solution to problems in the Amazon," said Alberto Pizango Chota. He added that promises made by the President of the Peruvian Congress in August to repeal these decrees had amounted to nothing.

Roger Najar, the President of the Congressional Commission of Andean and Amazonian Peoples, agreed: "There's been no political resolve in either Congress or the Executive to deal with this issue."

AIDESEP issued a platform calling for the repeal of six decrees that violate indigenous rights including the recognition and titling of indigenous communities; the creation of reserves to protect uncontacted communities; and the suspension of industrial concessions on indigenous lands.

"We hope the Garcia administration engages in meaningful dialogue on the very legitimate concerns voiced by the indigenous peoples of the Amazon, and refrains from using violence."

SOURCE Amazon Watch

Source: PR Newswire

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