Peru- Indigenous Struggle

PGA North America June 7, 2009

President Alan Garcia defending the massacre of indigenous people in
the Amazon on June 5th declared that the indigenous people "are not
first class citizens." ("no son cuidadanos de primera clase") He also
suggested that the governments of  Venezuela and Bolivia were
supporting the Peruvian indigenous movement to hold up the progress
of Peru.

The government claims 24 policemen were killed and 9 indigenous
people were killed with 155 wounded and 72 arrested.  However,
indigenous sources refer to 26 indigenous people and supporters being
killed, with bodies disappearing.

In Bagua demonstrators burnt down the offices of the National Police
and the local offices of the APRA, the ruling party.

A National Day of Protest has been called for Thursday June 11th.

The Natonal Police Union (Sindicato Unico de Policia Peruana SUPP)
has sent a communique lamanting the deaths of their fellow police
officers and "our native brothers, all those who fell in Bagua."  The
union holds the Peruvian government responsable for the deaths,
especially President Garcia and Prime Minister Yehude Simon, The
statemeent calls for "a democratic police, where uniformed workers
are dignified, respected, without corruption at the service of
citizens and people in general, and that we should not have to be
used by the government which is in power at the time as a repressive
force.
Earl Gilman