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TechnoratiPeru Indians Hail 'Historic' Day
Indigenous groups in Peru have called off protests after two land laws which led to deadly fighting were revoked.
![[Natives armed with spears set a roadblock at the entrance of the Amazonian town of Yurimaguas, northern Peru, on June 10, 2009. Peru's Congress on Thursday revoked two controversial decrees on land ownership in the Amazon river basin which triggered protests by indigenous groups that left at least 34 people dead in early June.
(AFP/File/Ernesto Benavides)]](http://www.commondreams.org/files/article_images/peruindigenous_win.jpg "peruindigenous_win.jpg")
Hailing victory, Amazonian Indian groups said it was an "historic day".
At least 34 people died during weeks of strikes against the legislation, which allowed foreign companies to exploit resources in the Amazon forest.
The violence provoked tension with Peru's neighbour, Bolivia, where Preisdent Evo Morales backed the Peruvian Indians' tribal rights.
"This is a historic day for indigenous people because it shows that our demands and our battles were just," said Daysi Zapata, vice president of the Amazon Indian confederation that led the protests.
She urged fellow activists to end their action by lifting blockades of jungle rivers and roads set up since April across six provinces in the Peruvian Amazon.
The controversial laws, passed to implement a free trade agreement with the US, were revoked by Peru's Congress by a margin of 82-12 after a five-hour debate.
Diplomatic dispute
The worst of the clashes occurred on 5 June when police tried to clear roadblocks set up by the groups at Bagua, 1,000km (600 miles) north of Lima.
At least 30 civilians died, according to Indian groups, as well as 23 police.
Peru's Prime Minister Yehude Simon said the reversal of policy would not put at risk Peru's free trade agreement with the US, but he has said he will step down once the dispute is settled.
The dispute led to a diplomatic row between Peru and Latin American neighbours Venezuela and Bolivia.
Peru recalled its ambassador to Bolivia for consultation on Tuesday after Bolivian President Evo Morales described the deaths of the indigenous protesters as a genocide caused by free trade.
Peru's Foreign Minister Jose Antonia Garcia Belaunde called Mr Morales an "enemy of Peru".
27 Comments so far
Show AllIsn't it interesting how our administration of "Hope" and "Change" criticizes the Iranian Police State behavior but ignores it in Peru, Indonesia, Gaza or anywhere else in the world that doesn't serve our elite oligarchy's profit objectives, including at home (RNCs,DNC, Seattle, etc.)?
We will only have democracy when we create it. Let's face it, America's citizens have been domesticated to blind obedience by the corporate TV delusion machine.
The fear of changing their life orientation (growing our own food, bike/train/bus/walk&skate, neighborhood free markets, block parties, pirate radio and TV, outdoor cinema on buildings, freecycling, neighborhood vehicle, tool and democracy collectives, and, voting for platforms that advance and enhance the above (as opposed to praying that a democrat will do more than he promises) is equatable with the fear of their boss, in that should they change they will lose their ability to survive and be ostracized socially. Pleasing boss = survival. Offending boss = homelessness.
So they don't want to know the truth, they hide from searching the internet to learn what's actually going on, and listen to the controlling illusions projected by corporate media and pray nothing worse will happen.
Like the Southern hemisphere, we need to join together, to take back our democracy. Abandon corporate anything, your car, your tv, your cell phone, and relocalize. From the ground up we can make and share what we need and omit the elite's profit pyramid schemes from enslaving us.
Wow.... this is very good news!!!
I hope they will not try something new later and it will stay this way.
LONG LIVE THE PERU FREEDOM FIGHTERS!!!!!!!!!!!
STOP DESTROYING OUR PLANET!!!
WORLWIDE LAWS TO PROTECT ALL THESE AREAS!!!!
STOP THE EXPLOTING OF THESE AREAS BY SHAMELESS MONEY MAKING COMPANIES..
THE PEOPLE OF PERU WILL NEVER BENIFIT FROM THIS...ALL MONEY GIOES TO THE RICH>>.NO FUTURE FOR THESE PEOPLE WHEN COMPANIES ARE IN CONTROL!!
FIRST CLEAN UP THE RIVERS AND AREAS THEY ALREADY HAVE DESTROYED.
STOP THIS WORLDWIDE!!
STOP ALL COMPANIES..WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE!!
DOGS ARE AWAKE AND GLOBAL.
STOP ALL THESE GOLDIGGERS, CARHILL, CHEVRON, SHELL, SOYA FARMERS ETC...YOU ALL ARE DESTROYING THIs PLANET!!
EVEN IF YOU ARE LEGAL...WE DONT CARE..WERE GONNA ATTACK YOU ALL!!!
LEAVE THESE TRIBES ALONE...LEAVE ALL FORRSEST LEFT ALONE!!!!!!!!!
PERU, BOLIVIA, VENEZUEALA, CAMEROON. MALAISIA, INDO, CHINA, SRI LANKA, GUYANA, PARAGUAY, BRAZIL, AUSTRALIA.....EVERYWHERE!!
THIS IS NOT ABOUT POLITICS...ITS ABOUT THE FUTURE OF THIS PLANET...HOW MUCH CAN WE TAKE AWAY!!!??
CUT IT!
WE ARE WATCHING YOU ALL!!!
YUST LIKE BACK THEN..with general Custer..in the usa...VIVA!!!
VICTORY FOR TRUTH AND LIFE!!
WE ARE NO HIPPIES...YUST WANNA BREATHE...
ONE LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
VIVA!
I can understand your rage, and I share your rage. But to be honest, most potential readers to your rant just skip over it and don't read it. And I'll tell you why: simply because most people don't like to read posts that are written in capital letters.
So, drpress, depress the caps lock key and just write normal. You'll attract more readers and you'll establish more credibility that way. When you write in caps, it looks like you're yelling. Most people don't like to be yelled at. They would rather listen to the quiet voice of reason.
One thing I've noticed in life, if you are yelling, you alienate people, and create a lot of anger and confusion. But if you speak softly, in almost a whisper, people will lean in closer to hear what you are saying. And you make more friends that way. And your friends will stand with you.
Yelling creates enemies, and your enemies will want to see you dead, because you make them afraid. That never helps your cause.
There are more effective ways to fight than yelling. It's like counting coup. You know that one? It's when you sneak up on your opponent and touch him. You could never even get close if you make a lot of noise.
Save your caps for the ONE LOVE part. And use fewer exclamation marks (!!!!!!!!!!!! looks like shit. One ! is more effective).
I'm telling you this as a favor. It will help you to be a more effective communicator. Your message is strong, however and I very much agree with what you are saying, and I stand with you in solidarity my brother.
Here is one very effective way we can stop the pigs who are destroying our Mother Earth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCPEBM5ol0Q
Viva Tierra Madre!
There is no such thing as police. Either it's the people's police or the elites' police.
Good news which comes right on the heals of Bill Moyers' piece on Leymah Gbowee, the Liberian activist who, with many other women risked their lives to bring peace to their country. Before they were able to do that, the country had seen many years of war, rape, mutilations, and conscription of boys into the army.
And in Iran, the people are still in the streets despite death, beatings, and a warning from the government.
I know this is a far stretch for Americans, but can't we see how useful and effective it is when people band together to affect change? I know we're entertained and entitled here, but can't we open our eyes to the possibilities? Other people are showing us how.
The following website's homepage has a link to an article on this ... now victory in Peru and the bit of text with the link says that maybe over 100 Peruvian indigenous persons were killed.
www.indianlaw.org
Quote: "So far the violence in Peru has resulted in the deaths of 22 police officers and perhaps more than one hundred indigenous people who clashed at a roadblock set up by indigenous leaders near Bagua Grande on June 5, 2009."
BBC said possibly more than 34 were killed, but if it's really around 100, or more, then it'd be better to report this as accurately as possible. 34 is still many, but 100 is nearly three times more.
I got this link through an article at www.IntercontinentalCry.org , "NAFTA Tribunal defends Quechan sacred site", June 12th and 9th.
Another article there is, "ALERT: Court Ordered Eviction of California Valley Miwok Tribe", June 17th. The piece is a call for help because the Miwok is a federally recognised tribe and their premises are being foreclosed upon, so they were under threat of being evicted by or on June 17th and without any place to relocate to. They're firmly (as much as they can) resisting against the eviction and say they'll relocate, but need help in finding a substitute place to go to. This also has a video clip.
Deepa
What this story reminds is: when people come together onto the streets in protest against any atrocities committed by either government (in the form of policies), or elite and powerful, or anyone, for that matter, they can make a community/society/nation/world a better place.
As long as the protests are limited to expressing anger and opposition in forums like CommonDreams (for various reasons), it strenghthens exploitative governments, corporations and systems.
YOU ARE RIGHT...LIKE SEA SHEPPERD..We should even help those people out over here...and we will if we can.
JOIN HANDS!! JOIN THE SIOUX-SYNDICATE..not on the net! well..on you tube haha.
WE CAN4 example EXPRESS OUR ANGER BY EXAMPLE ATTACKING COMPANIES WITH PAINT...yes, thats illegal ofcourse...and bring them the colour of blood on a daily base..but eh..i really dont care...even if they are watching..you know.
I agree with your point of view..WE MUST NEVER BECOME ONLY HARMLESS SUCKAZ...CAUSE THAT DOESNT IMPRESS THESE PEOPLE...
IF THE INDIANS HAD NOT FIGHT, THEY PROBABLY WOULD BE DEAD IN A FEW YEARS.
ONELOVE!
The downward spiral started long before CD opened its forum. Look at the psych-ops, the petro-propaganda, the racism, nationalism, materialism shoved down our throats.
"Stone June 19th, 2009 3:59 pm
An estimated 112 million Indigenous Americans died and Americans do nothing."
Is that "Indigenous Americans" of all of the Americas, or do you mean 112mn American Indians of continental USA? If the latter, then were there really ever this many?
Stone:
"Genocide is still happening to the Indigenous Peoples of America and still the population does nothing. The few remaining Traditional Indigenous peoples of the United states estimated to be about one quarter million have been targeted by Billy Graham as ripe for conversion to Christianity. This is cultural genocide."
www.mohawkNationNews.com
www.bsnorrell.blogspot.com
www.hiddenfromhistory.org
www.ahealedplanet.net , where Wade Frazier has a number of essays treating the topic of Euro-colonialists, imperialists, ... against indigenous populations of the continental USA, but while I'm certainly not qualified to be able to know if everything he describes is true history, or not, but it seems to be
The following are websites new to me, having just learned of these very recently.
www.akwesasne.ca
http://intercontinentalcry.org
The latter was obtained through an article posted at CD early this month, or else last month, an article by an American or Canadian indigenous writer, a Mohawk, I believe the bio. said.
MNN, above, has ongoing news and analysis on the present situation for the Mohawks, the Canadian government wanting to act against law by having customs guards carry guns at the border crossings on Mohawk territory.
Great feeling to read an elevating and hopeful piece of news for a change.
This should be the norm.
Awesome good, good news! What a relief! I have been praying hard for those good stewards of the land, guardians of the rainforest fighting the good fight.
I'm so glad they can now go back home and tend their crops and mend their lives, bury their dead and nurture their wounded, raise their children, cook their meals and care for their elders.
We need those guardians of the rainforest so much more than foolish politicians like Alan Garcia realizes. He thinks the only way to gain anything from the land is by exploitation of the natural resources into commodities in the global market place. He fails to see the vast wealth of a functioning forest ecosystem in terms of medicine, carbon sequestration, clean water, happy, healthy citizens, thriving wildlife, etc.
This chapter in the good fight may be over, but these guardians of the rainforest will have to remain vigilant as long as empire exists. Let us stand in solidarity with them!
Jeevee
Excellent commentary
Great news. I wonder where the Obama administration was on this?
Quickstepper (11:39am): It would be interesting to see what would happen if Appalachia did rise up. And if we did drop bombs, what would the rest of us do?
I wonder how many deaths it would take in America to produce the same results?
I also wonder if we have enough brave people left in America to provoke such a confrontation?
If we the people are to break the corporate death grip on our government, we are going to have to resist. What that resistance will look like is hard to tell, but I doubt that peaceful resistance will be enough.
An estimated 112 million Indigenous Americans died and Americans do nothing. Genocide is still happening to the Indigenous Peoples of America and still the population does nothing. The few remaining Traditional Indigenous peoples of the United states estimated to be about one quarter million have been targeted by Billy Graham as ripe for conversion to Christianity. This is cultural genocide. Once these people are Christianized indigenous culture will have been killed in America. Refuse to give to Christian churches for missionary work, it is genocide.
Amen to that brother. Aho, mitakwe oyassin. Ni kso ko wa.
I am glad the people's voice is being listen to in some parts of the world. Now, if only our voice as Americans fighting against Mountaintop Removal in the Appalachia would be heard by our government than that would really be a great day.
Far fucking out! Sure is good to read something so positive. A rare ray of sunshine.
The price of freedom and nature is eternal vigilance.
I seem to recall hearing an urban myth to the effect that native people have a belief that one day they would be instrumental in saving the invaders from themselves. This is certainly a major step in that direction, I say support the First Nations and their members.
Sophie Scholl-The Final Days
Congratulations (and condolences for those killed) for this amazing push-back by communities fighting for their lives.
More of a holding action than a long-term "victory", because the zombie-like "free-trade" violators are certainly meeting to strategize their next assault which they will wrap in the mantle of goodness truth and beauty, they will be back.
What we need is some "historic victories" inside the USA, put an end to the threat posed to peoples everywhere by our "free trade" imperialism. Not that all problems will end if we turn off the US war machine, but it will give a lot more opportunity for communities everywhere to chart their own paths.
Putting our lives on the line is what it takes, in defense of our own communities.
This is what I' talkin' about. No fear. Stand up fopr your rights and forget about your cozy couch.
I'm trying -I still have a long way to go. But we must think. What are the ways in which we can all extricate ourselves, ECAPE from the death grip that consumism has on us, our lives, our souls.
So many of us are trapped. Trapped in a web of feeling dependent on this artificial life that has us brainwashed in to living. Consumism consumes us.
What does the wild animal do to free itself from a trap? It will chew it's leg off to be free....
There are so many days when I see nothing but horrible and depressing news on CD that even this limited victory makes me want to celebrate.
Of course, it's just a matter of time before corporate greed and corruption put this area at risk again but, for the time being, let's tip our hats to these folks. If the natural resources of this area are to be exploited then they are the ones who should do the exploiting and reap the benefits.
Of course, if this happened in the US (and it is in Appalachia) the the natives would have been bombed.
q
In the USA the DOD has a training program issued where they ask a question in the form of Multiple Choice.
Please Give an Example of Low level Terrorism.
The Correct answer is...
Protests.
not only in Appalachia, didn't the United States do this to the indiginous people of this country?