Comming Home…

Dear All,

I am pleased to declare that the time has come for my own personal counter-revolution. It is time to move back to my true political home, the only party which can give me the peace of mind which I have been looking for since I left back in 2004. I am now planning to take a step back to the Green Party. Since I left I have been involved in Europe United and today I am (barely) a member of the Lib Dems. But I am forced to recognise my mistakes. I can no longer ignore the uncomfortable feeling that is associated with this position. I find that the Lib Dems are not genuinely committed to building an ecologically sustainable society to the same extent as the Greens, but there is something more important than that.

The Green Party, unlike any other political movement I am aware of, puts it principles fully into practice within its own organisation and activity, and does so almost universally at a global level. This makes them the most honest and genuine political force on Earth. Green policy faces political, social and ecological reality.

Leaving the Greens was a mistake. Never becoming an active member was a mistake. Continuing to know the truth, and still failing to act now would be more than just a mistake.

¿Tantas vidas tenían que morir para que el gobierno se dé cuenta que las leyes estaban mal dadas?

¿Tantas vidas tenían que morir para que el gobierno se dé cuenta que las leyes estaban mal dadas? Con esta pregunta la nueva presidente de los manifestantes indígenas, Daysi Zapata, recibe con cautela la noticia que fue anunciado por el Primer Ministro Yehude Simon, que las dos leyes principales que promuevan la venta masiva de la selva amazónica a empresas de petroleo y gas natural serán derogados.

Pero esto no será el fin de la lucha. Si la población indígena de Perú realmente desea protegerse y a su modo de vivir, a sus tierras ancestrales y con todo aquello, a lo que queda de la extensa amazonia peruana que es para la planeta como un pulmón para el cuerpo, entonces la lucha debe seguir. La actitud descarada imperialista que expresa Alan García y su gobierno sobre el futuro de la selva significa que mientras este gobierno o cualquier otro parecido siguen agarrándose al poder, la selva simplemente no estará seguro.

El Perú necesita urgentemente un gobierno Verde que sería capaz de entender, respetar y defender la la selva amazónica por su verdadera importancia, la cual es para nuestro planeta y en el fin, para nosotros mismos, y que no perseguiría una política corto de miras de destrucción y extracción. Solamente un gobierno Verde (es decir del movimiento ecologista) podría balancear la necesidad para el progreso económico y el avance de la prosperidad en una nación tan asolado con la pobreza, con la necesidad urgente para la sostenibilidad ecológico y social.

Donde el pueblo se ha experimentado con partidos ecologistas, tales como Nueva Amazonia en la región San Martin, los resultados son limitados y variados. Gobiernos regionales y municipales se encuentra muy restringido en sus habilidades, y debe conformarse no solamente con la ley nacional, pero también hasta las políticas seguidos por el gobierno. La marca bamba actual de decentralización en el Perú no sirve ni la voluntad democrático ni las necesidades de personas locales. Gobiernos regionales se ven obligados a perseguir sin fin una política de “crecimiento económico” indefinido y las preocupaciones medioambientales son secundarios.

Solamente congresistas de un partido Verde, un gobierno Verde y en el fin un presidente Verde podrá efectuar cambio verdadero. Tal vez falta mucho aún para lograr eso. Mientras tanto, del gobierno actual de sus políticas de ignorancia serán cuestionados y resistidos. Cuando en el 2007 el Presidente García publicó un artículo titulado el Síndrome del Perro del Hortelano que refiere al decir, el perro del hortelano ni come ni deja comer. El artículo inició el ataque del gobierno central contra los bosques amazónicos con el apoyo del nuevo Ministerio del Ambiente aún encabezado por el hipócrita Antonio Brack.

Alan García acusa a los nativos de la selva, algunos de quienes viven aislados intencionalmente, de no tomar su parte en la sociedad peruana y explotar los “millones de hectáreas para madera que están ociosas”. Atacó la propiedad comunal de los nativos y les acusa de pereza y de gorronearse del estado. Tras el honorifico masacre cometido por su gobierno en Bagua el 5 de junio, describió a los pueblos indígenas diciendo “estas personas no tienen corona, no son ciudadanos de primera clase” y argumenta que el Perú no debería detenerse por una minoridad o sus derechos humanos.

El progresos no se puede lograr a cualquier precio. García acusa a los pueblos indígenas y los que les dan su apoyo de ser engañosos. Parece estar plenamente convencido que sus estrategias son comunistas orquestados por los gobiernos de Venezuela y Bolivia. Perú hoy día a llamado a regresar a Lima su embajador en La Paz. Mientras las formas actuales de la denominada ‘Ley de la Selva’ estén a punto de ser derogados, seguramente no demorará García en inventar un nuevo proyecto de ley u otra forma de arrebatar el petroleo y la madera delante de los pueblos de la Amazonia.

Did so many lives have to end so the government would realize that the laws were wrongly made?

“Did so many lives have to end so the government would realize that the laws were wrongly made?” With this question the new leader of Peru’s indigenous protestors protesters cautiously welcomed the news that was announced by Prime Minister Yehude Simon, that the two principle laws to promote massive sales of the Amazonian jungle to oil and gas companies will be repealed.

This is not however the end of ths struggle. If Peru’s indigenous population wants to protect itself, its way of life, its ancestral lands and with all that, what remains of the vast Peruvian Amazon that is to our planet as a lung to our bodies, then the fight must continued. The outright imperialist attitude expressed by Alan Garcia and his government on the future of the rainforest means that whilst this or any other similar government grips on to power, the jungle simply is not safe.

Peru urgently needs a Green government that would be capable of understanding, respecting and defending the real importance of the Amazon rainforest for our planet and ultimately for us, and would therefore not pursue short sighted policies of destruction and extraction. Only a Green government could balance the need for economic progress and the advancement of prosperity in a nation so desperately stricken with poverty, with the urgent need for ecological and social sustainability.

Where the people have flirted with small-g green parties, such as Nueva Amazonia in the San Martin region, the results are limited and mixed. Regional and local government in Peru finds itself highly resricted in its movement, and must conform with not just national law, but even policy. Peru’s current brand of fake decentralisation does not serve the democratic will or need of local people. Regional government are legally obligated to endlessly pursue a policy of “economic growth” and environmental concerns are secondary.

Only a Green members of congress, government and ultimately, the presidency will be able to effect real change. This may be some time off yet. In the meantime, the current government’s policies of ignorance will be challenged and resisted. When President Garcia in 2007 published an article entitled ‘el Perro del Hortelano’, lit. the Dog in the Manger, making reference to a Spanish saying, which loosely translated goes: the dog in the manger neither eats nor let’s others eat. This article began the central government’s attack on the rainforest, and came with the support of the new Environment Ministry, still headed by hypocrite Antonio Brack.

Alan Garcia accuses the native inhabitants of the rainforest, some of whom live in deliberate isolation with little outside contact, of failing to play their part in Peruvian society by exploting the “millions of hectares for lumber that lie idle”. He attacks the communal ownership of land by native tribes and accuses them of laziness and scrounging off of the state. After the horrific massacre committed by his government at Bagua on June 5th, he went on to describe the native people’s as ‘not first class citizens’ and argues that Peru should not be held up by a minority group or their human rights.

Progress cannot come at any price. Garcia accuses the indigenous people and their supporters of deceitfulness, and seems utterly convinced that their communistic strategies are being orchestrated by the government’s of Venezuela and Bolivia. Peru has today recalled it’s ambassador in La Paz. Whilst the current forms of the Law of the Jungle may be about to be repealed, surely it will not be long before Garcia comes up with another scheme to snatch the oil and lumber from under the noses of the people of the Amazon.

Peru Congress Suspends Laws for 90 Days

Peru’s congress has finally suspended for at least 90 days some of the nine laws which have caused widespread protests and demonstrations across the Peruvian Amazon region which climaxed in the massacre of at least 50, and possibly many more protestors, largely from native amerindian tribes. The series of laws are designed to throw native populations off of their ancestoral lands and sell them off to oil, gas and timber corporations. The government’s proposals will leave the native people’s with just 13% of their current lands.

All nine laws are currently being challeneged as unconstitutional since although Peru’s constitution declares hydrocarbon resources to be the property of the state, international conventions which the same constituion requires Peru’s compiance with international conventions which unambigously guarantee the indigenous population’s rights. If these challeneges are successful is yet to be seen. Peru’s government claims the land reforms are necessarry to comply with Peru’s Free Trade Agreement with the United States.

Protests are continuing in Peru in the face of President Alan Garcia’s neo-imperialist attitude to the jungle and it’s inhabitants. The President recently described the protestors saying “These people don’t wear a crown, they are not first class citizens who can tell us, 400,000 natives to 28 million Peruvians, ‘you don’t have the right to come here at all’; this is a very grave error and anyone who thinks that wants to lead us into irrationality and a primitive retreat“

Details of Massacre Emerge in Peru

As many as 36 people are reported to have been killed in the city of Bagua, northern Peru has heavy handed police and soldiers attempted to dislodge one of many nationwide protests which have closed many major interprovincial highways in Peru. Human rights organisations have described a massacre and the leader of the protesters has accused the government of genocide.

The protesters are attempting to stop government plans to convert huge tracts of the Peruvian Amazon region from being logged and exploited for oil and natural gas. The government’s ‘Law of the Jungle’ targets the indiginous amerindian occupants of the jungle and seeks to remove them from their lands in order to open up greater exploration of natural resources. The project is said to be instigated by Peru’s Free Trade agreement signed with the Bush administration of the United States.

The Peruvian authorities have responded to the violence by accusing the protesters, whose claim to be completely unarmed is backed by independent observers, of instigating the violence as part of an insurgency. Peru has issued an arrest warrent for Alberto Pizango, the leader of the native american communities protesting. Peruvian television is reporting with heavy bias towards the government, claiming only 3 native americans and 11 police officers have died. This claim is contradicted by almost all international news agencies including Reuters, AP, and the BBC. The people of Peru however are not so easily fooled by their unpopular government.

Urgent action against the ongoing atrocities being commited by the Peruvian government against native populations.

Write to:
peruconsulate-uk@btconnect.com

Indigenous Peru in Protest

Indigenous leader Alberto Pizango.

Despite the excessive lip service paid by the government of Alan Garcia to the international community, especially to the US and EU, about protecting the environment and natural resources the Peruvian government is streaming ahead with its numerous reforms to enable greater foreign exploitation of the nation’s vast oil and gas reserves. Such exploitation which not only poses a significant threat to one of the most spectacular, diverse and vital regions on the Earth, but also to the indigenous tribes and communities which live in those regions.

These groups have, over the last couple of weeks taking their protest against the ‘Law of the Jungle’ as the government’s project is known in Peru, to the streets and highways of the Amazonian region. The protests have paralised life in many of Peru’s jungle cities, not least my home town of Tarapoto. The protests are increasingly unpopular as the blocked roads pushes the prices of basic goods through the roof and out of the reach of ordinary people.

The President has claimed that the natural resources of Peru belong to all Peruvians, and appears to charge the indigenous groups with selfishness. He is now mobilising the nation’s armed forces to try to combat the protests. The protests, until now mostly peaceful, will either end or turn violent, unless the international community intercedes. Something which looks extreemly unlikely.

Identifying the Problem

As the government plans to introduce ID cards on a voluntary basis in Manchester, I am forced to stop and think for a second, why? Why ID cards? Why voluntary? Why Manchester? Does anyone have the answers to these questions?

For two years I lived in Peru. National identity cards are compulsory in Peru, and when people asked to see my British ID card they were surprised to learn I don’t have one and asked who I identify myself or prove that I am British. I always found it difficult to explain that our society functions fine without ID cards. I had to have a Peruvian ‘Foreignership’ ID card myself, which in a country where everyone is always asking for your ID number actually makes life easier. People who do not have ID cards in Peru, who are usually poor and illiterate people from remote or rural communities, are severely limited in the exercise of their civil rights, since they are neither recognised by the state as existing or being a citizen.

Another thing which surprised me was to observe that ID cards in Peru very often facilitated crimes such as identity theft, and people are now and again arrested and sometimes even convicted of crimes committed either by someone who has stolen their identity, or who happens to have an identical name. This was made worse until recently by the fact that the national ID database, including all details from the cards and the photo was accessible to anyone online.

I think the UK government will be shocked to realise that its ID card scheme won’t work in tackling serious crime or identity theft. Perhaps I could accept voluntary non-biometric ID cards as an alternative to passports, except that having a passport will be a pre-requisite to getting an ID card!

What frightens me most about this entire charade, is that suggestion that foreign non-EU citizens resident in the UK, my wife included, will be the first people to be obligated to carry ID cards. What kind of state has Britain turned into? I was at first surprised, but now understand fully what my wife said shortly after she first arrived in Britain, that there is less freedom in this country. Peru may well be a bureaucratic nightmare, but at the end of the day, you get what you want and the state doesn’t interfere (even when it should do) and personal liberty abounds.

A Green Future

Hello everyone!

I would like to extend thanks to all the people who read my blog, which I have to admit has not been updated for an extraordinary long period of time. For that I apologise. We have gone through some very difficult times, which have forced us to move temporarily from Tarapoto back to the UK.

We are now working on a new and interesting project which we hope can become a global political movement. We are forming a group of Green Liberals, who are dedicated to the persuit of an ecologically sustainable and developing society inclusive of all people, which embraces internationalism and the benefits of globalisation. I will be publishing more information here soon, and hope that anyone who might be interested could get in touch through this site, or links which will be posted at some point.

Extiendo mi agradecimiento a mis lectores de Perú y el mundo, y les informo que ya mi familia y yo tuvimos que mudarnos a inglaterra. Acá estamos formando un nuevo agrupación politica que esperamos llevar al nivel mundial. Los Verdes Liberales serían un movimiento para la libertad, el desarollo sostenible, y en el contexto del internacionalismo, y la mundialización. Publicaré más información aquí en los proximos días.

Saludos a todos.