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.

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