L. Coyote, DUers following events in Peru: a response from the embassy

[EFerrari]

(Most of their press release below is ridiculous propaganda but at least they know people are paying attention. If you remember, they initially tried to suppress the facts of the events and went so far as to air their own version every half hour or so in Peru.)

From: Elizabeth Ferrari Sent: Monday, June 08, 2009 2:01 PM
To: Luis Valdivieso
Cc: Eliana Moscoso; [e-mail]; [e-mail]; [e-mail]; [e-mail]; [e-mail]; [e-mail]; [e-mail]
Subject: Stop killing indians

President García,

Your comments about indigenous people are revolting and your policy toward them is appalling.
I join with people around the world in demanding that you stop this genocide immediately.

Elizabeth Ferrari
San Francsico, CA

* * * *

RE: Stop killing indians
Monday, June 22, 2009 8:20 AM
From: "Cecilia Campana" <[e-mail]>
To:"Elizabeth Ferrari" <elizabeth.ferrari
Washington, DC, June 12, 2009

In response to your message, please find herewith a press release and a report about the background and context of the recent riots in Bagua, Amazonas, Peru.



Sincerely,
Embassy of Peru



FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 12, 2009
Embassy of Peru
1700 Massachusetts Ave. N.W.
Washington DC, 20036



THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF PERU

PRESS RELEASE ABOUT THE RECENT EVENTS IN BAGUA, AMAZONAS, PERU



On 5 and 6 June 2009 clashes occurred between police and groups of native inhabitants in the zone of Bagua, Amazonas. The unfortunate result was thirty-three people dead - 24 police officers and 9 civilians - according to official figures. One hundred fifty-five persons were injured, of which only 12 remain hospitalized.


No state institution, the National Police, the Prosecutor or the Ombudsman, nor any other institutions, such as the Red Cross, has information that there are any more civilian casualties than those that have been registered officially. The Peruvian Government deeply regrets the deaths of policemen and civilians, and expects that the situation will soon return to normal. It is deeply shocked that several policemen were tortured and brutally murdered.


The various autonomous institutions responsible for justice and law enforcement, the public prosecutor, the defense lawyers, and the Ombudsman, are making efforts to clarify these unfortunate events, within the framework of democratic governance and the rule of law. The Government will continue to exercise the assigned powers by the Constitution, in order to guarantee the fundamental rights of all citizens without distinction of any kind and to provide legal assistance and supervision by competent authorities. In carrying out the corresponding judicial procedures, the government reassures those persons involved that they will continue to enjoy all the guarantees inherent to due process.


The international community is contributing to this effort. For example, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is present on the ground and has unrestricted authorization to conduct its humanitarian mission. The Government encourages such activities.

The Government's objective is to avoid the destruction of the Amazon forest. Informal miners who pollute the rivers with mercury, illegal coca growers and those who practice illegal logging and timber smuggling have destroyed more than 10 million hectares (24.7 million acres) in recent years.

To defend and protect this ecological heritage of mankind, to reforest areas that were destroyed and to reestablish order, the Government approved legislation that reserves the ownership of 12 million hectares (29.6 million acres) to 320,000 native Amazonian inhabitants and 15 million hectares (37 million acres) as natural sanctuaries. But extremist political movements have convinced some of the indigenous population that they would be robbed of their land. This led to the blockading of roads and the interruption of production plants. As required by law, the police proceeded to clear the roads and were attacked with firearms, with the result of 24 casualties. The elevated number of civilian deaths reported by sensationalists is thus inexact.


It should be noted that, for the purpose of seeking a solution to this situation, the country's political forces have agreed to suspend the implementation of legislative decrees 1090 and 1064, and to establish the National Coordination Group for the Development of Peoples from the Amazon - formed by members of the Executive Branch, Chairmen of the Regional Governments of the Amazon and indigenous peoples' representatives - who will be responsible for formulating a comprehensive plan for sustainable development for the Amazon region and indigenous peoples in the areas of education, health, land ownership, titling and registration of land rights and any other necessary measures.

The Peruvian Government reiterates its firm commitment to democracy, the promotion and protection of human rights and the rule of law and its continued willingness to maintain an open-ended dialogue with all sectors involved in this sensitive issue, so as to avoid the destruction of the Amazon, and in order to fulfill their commitment to its own ethnic groups.

Lima, June 12, 2009.


EVENTS IN BAGUA, AMAZONAS

It is of public knowledge that on June 5 and 6, 2009, there were violent clashes between police agents and residents of the city of Bagua, located in the Amazonas Region, on the North-East of Peru.

According to official information, so far there are 33 deaths, 24 of them are police agents and 9 civilians. This information has been confirmed by other government organizations such as the Ombudsman's Office. Moreover, it has been confirmed that the officers were cold blooded murdered. The Peruvian Government regrets the death of the 33 fellow citizens and shares their families’ grief.

The Government of Peru, through its institutions responsible for justice administration and law enforcement (Public Prosecutor, Public Defenders, Ombudsman Office, the Police and the Army), is making every effort to clarify these unfortunate events, with due observance of the principles of a democratic Government and the Rule of Law.

There are inaccurate versions circulating not only in Peru but also internationally stating that the Peruvian Government had resorted to the use of force in a disproportionate and arbitrary manner, causing a high number of casualties among the civilian population.

The Government of Peru has made public in a timely manner about the actions adopted to restore security and public order, as well as to normalize the provision of essential services which were interrupted for 55 days. The residents who disturbed public order have justified their actions arguing that the “Forest and Wildlife Law” violates their rights, in particular property rights and that the Law was passed before consulting them. The Government believes that this position is the result of a flagrant disinformation caused by the leaders of those communities.

Peru has a long tradition and constitutional commitment to the protection and promotion of human rights. In this context, it has actively supported various international initiatives that seek to recognize the rights of indigenous peoples, such as the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the United Nations. In fact, the negotiating process that led to this agreement was chaired by Peru from its inception until its enactment by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2007.

BACKGROUND

By Law No. 29157 published on December 20, 2007, the Congress delegated legislative powers to the Executive branch on various subjects related to the Peru-US Trade Promotion Agreement and to support improvements in economic competitiveness.

Under this provision, the Legislative Decree (LD) No. 1090 "Forest and Wildlife law” was enacted on June 28, 2008. This norm updated the old forestry system and aimed at promoting an orderly and sustainable development of our natural resources for the benefit of all Peruvians.

On September 26, 2008, a group of representatives of the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Amazon - AIDESEP- requested the abrogation of LD 1090, because in their opinion a) it infringed their property rights and b) it was issued without prior consultation as called for by Convention No. 169 of the International Labor Organization (ILO) concerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries.

From January to June 2008, the representatives of AIDESEP channeled their concerns through the Peruvian Congress, holding a number of meetings with members of relevant committees. These deliberations concluded with the drafting of an amended bill that included their recommendations. The Ombudsman and the Legal Defense Institute contributed with position papers to the drafting of the amendments.

On January 14, 2009, the Law No. 29317 was passed. This Law amended articles of the LD No. 1090<1>.

Notwithstanding, representatives of AIDESEP pressured to obtain the repeal of both laws. By mid-April 2009, the AIDESEP’s leaders prompted their associate members to adopt a more belligerent stance, including demonstrations and roadblocks, which halted transportation of cargo and passengers, and the supply of energy. Simultaneously, the Congressional Constitution Committee continued discussing the possible unconstitutionality of the LD 1090.

As the interruption of public services and roadblocks worsened, on May 9, 2009 the Government of Peru issued Supreme Decree No. 027-2009-PCM declaring the state of emergency in certain districts of Cusco, Ucayali, Loreto and Amazonas (Bagua). Pursuant to the Convention on Civil and Political Rights and the American Convention on Human Rights, the Peruvian Government informed its decision to the General Secretariats of the United Nations and the Organization of American States (OAS).

On May 14, 2009, the President of AIDESEP, Alberto Pizango Chota made a further call on associate members and allied political forces to force a change of the Peruvian state model and to prepare to declare a state of insurgency.<2>

On May 20, 2009, and in part to address the lack of a national legislative framework to norm the implementation of the ILO agreement, the Peruvian government established a Multisector Standing Committee in order to enhance the participatory process and dialogue. The Committee comprised the Presidency of the Cabinet and 9 other State Ministers (Environment, Gender, Agriculture, Energy and Mining, Education, Interior, Health, Transport and Communications, Housing), 7 representatives of AIDESEP, a representative of the National Institute of Andean, Amazonian and Afro-Peruvians, and a representative of the mayors of the Amazon area plus one representative of the Amazon’s region Presidents.

At the same time, on May 20, 2009, the Commission on Constitutional Affairs approved the Report prepared by the minority in Congress that supported the abrogation of the LD 1090, with seven votes in favor, six against and one abstention. The Report was ready to be presented to all members of Congress.

The Government of Peru reaffirms, as it follows from the text of the above mentioned laws, that neither the LD 1090 nor the amending Law affect in any way the property rights of indigenous peoples. It is legally established that the 12 million hectares are rightfully owned by the 400 thousand native inhabitants of the Amazon, which together the 15 million hectares of reserve areas for ecological sanctuaries and natural parks are untouchable.


DIRECT DIALOGUE PROCESS BETWEEN STATE REPRESENTATIVES AND THE LEADERS OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLES<3>

There has been substantive progress to promote dialogue with the representatives of the indigenous people.

A Dialogue Roundtable of the Multisector Standing Committee was set up on May 26, 2009 and was chaired by the President of the Cabinet of Ministers with the participation of the representatives of AIDESEP.

After two meetings, the process was halted on June 1, 2009 by the decision of the leadership of AIDESEP of suspending the dialogue.

On June 4, 2009 the Peruvian Congress decided not to hold a plenary session to debate and vote on the report that recommended the abolishment of Legislative Decree 1090.

RESTORATION OF PUBLIC ORDER

The Peruvian National Police in coordination with the Ministry of Defense, according to the Articles 166 and 137 of the Peruvian Constitution, are in charge to restore and guarantee public order in areas disrupted by violence.

On June 5, 2009 the Government, in full power of its constitutional rights, instructed the National Police to re open the Fernando Belaunde Highway that was blocked by rioters in the location known as Devil’s Curve. In that occasion the National Police agents were attacked by organized rioters who acted violently against them, executing 13 agents. 38 other police officers and 1 civilian were taken as hostages when they were guarding Pump Station Number 6 of the Peruvian North West Oil Pipeline.

An urban mob that falsely claimed to represent the indigenous populations attacked and burned down public buildings and also destroyed private property. Police agents, in the presence of public prosecutors, arrested the rioters. The public prosecutors will be in charge of conducting the investigation of possible crimes and if applicable start criminal proceedings against the offenders.

In this context and due to the high number of persons detained as suspects of criminal acts, the “El Milagro” Military Base is used temporarily until the detainees are transferred to the locations were they will be taken to court. It is important to mention that this situation is closely monitored and supervised by the prosecutors especially appointed to guarantee the life and security of all parties involved. Legal public defenders have been appointed to provide legal assistance to all involved parties.

On June 6, 2009, it was learned that 10 of the police agents that were taken as hostages the day before had been executed. These police agents were instructed not to fire against the rioters.

In light of these events, the next day the Government extended the State of Emergency and established a curfew in Bagua. At the same time, the judiciary ordered the detention of Mr. Pizango, but in the event he has sought and obtained political asylum by the Embassy of Nicaragua in Peru on June 8, 2009.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Peru informed of the declaration of the State of Emergency to the Secretary General of the Organization of American States and the United Nations.

The Government of Peru has requested the participation of prominent people and the mediation of the Church in order to reestablish the dialogue within the shortest time.

June 9. The Church agrees to mediate in the conflict.

June 10. The Congress suspends the application of LD 1090, to allow its full review. The previous legislation will be temporarily in effect while the Multisector Standing Committee will be broadened to enhance the representation of the indigenous communities.

FINAL COMMENTS

The Government of Peru considers that the sequence of events above described constitute a conspiracy against the democratic system, to which the State has responded according to the Constitution mandated authority. The fundamental rights of all citizens involved in these acts were respected without any kind of discrimination, providing them with legal assistance and under the supervision of relevant authorities. Once the judicial process begins, all persons involved will continue to enjoy all the guarantees provided by the law.

The Government of Peru is determined to protect all citizens and to take measures to prevent the resurgence of violence that may arise through the exacerbation of the original conflict with due respect to and observance of the Constitution.

The Government of Peru reiterates its firm commitment to democracy, the promotion and protection of Human Rights and the Rule of Law, and its permanent will to engage in a constructive dialogue with all parties involved.

Washington, June 10, 2009.

<1> The modified articles were: Article 1. Object of the law; Article 4. National Plan for Forest and wildlife Development; Article 6: National Forest and Wildlife Patrimony; Article 8 Forest zonification; Article 18. Economic compensation for the utilization of forest and wildlife resources; Article 25: Suppression of Vegetation Coverage in private land susceptible to agriculture and pecuary; Article 37: Evaluation and control; Article 41. Acquisition with good faith, confiscation and sanctions of products or forest and wildlife species.


<2>See:http://agenciaperu.tv/view_video.php?viewkey=48894b8ea294e4f23b41&category=§ion=12 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMwEiSiK3AM


<3> See the paper prepared by the Presidency of the Cabinet dated on 8.6.09: "Actions regarding the Amazonian communities strike,” which states that "the Third Session of the Multi sector Committee was not possible because of the absence of the representatives of AIDESEP.

[Blue_Tires]

1. k+r

[slipslidingaway]

2. knr thank you n/t

[elmaji]

3. it's hard to know what happened

I don't buy the official report, but no fucking way do i buy the unofficial report.

[EFerrari]

6. What happened is pretty clear because there are pictures and video

as well as eye witnesses. It was bad enough that the story wasn't reported in Peru for as long as possible by the state owned media.

Amy's reporting on it has been very good.

*
As Tensions Flare in Peruvian Amazon, Award-Winning Actor Q’orianka Kilcher Heads to Peru to Support Indigenous Rights
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/6/10/peru

June 10, 2009 | Story
Peruvian indigenous leader Alberto Pizango has been granted asylum in Nicaragua after leading protests against oil and mining projects in the northern Peruvian Amazonian province of Bagua. Over the …
*
Peruvian Indigenous Leader Seeks Asylum
June 09, 2009 | Headline
In Peru, indigenous leader Alberto Pizango has sought refuge in Nicaragua's Embassy and is seeking asylum. Pizango is wanted in Peru on sedition charges after leading protests opposing laws that …
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/6/9/headlines#3
*
Dozens Killed in Clashes Between Peruvian Police and Indigenous Groups
June 08, 2009 | Headline
In Peru, dozens of people are believed to have been killed in clashes between police and indigenous activists in the northern Peruvian Amazonian province of Bagua. Peruvian authorities have declared a …
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/6/8/headlines#6
*
Peruvian Police Accused of Massacring Indigenous Protesters in Amazon Jungle
June 08, 2009 | Story
Dozens of people are estimated to have been killed in clashes between police and indigenous activists protesting oil and mining projects in the northern Peruvian Amazonian province of Bagua. Peruvian …
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/6/8/peruvian_police_accused_of_massacring_indigenous

[elmaji]

31. I didn't see pictures or video in those links

And videos and pictures can be a very selective representation of what happened.

[EFerrari]

33. Then you need to go look again. Especially at the first one

dated June 8. Have a good day.

[pleah]

4. K&R

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. Brava! To you for pursuing this. K&R

[EFerrari]

17. The distribution list is interesting. I only mailed to President 2 Breakfasts

and it went to all those addresses. I hope the Peruvian army doesn't come after me. :)

[malaise]

7. Great work

Thanks

[EFerrari]

9. Did you SEE what they say about the protesters?

"The Government of Peru considers that the sequence of events above described constitute a conspiracy against the democratic system, to which the State has responded according to the Constitution mandated authority."

These people are all scumbags.

[Judi Lynn]

11. That was really LOW. Slashing and hacking away at the protesters,

pretending they were stupid and misled by nefarious people from outside the area.re

Sounds like the American South during the Civil Rights struggle claiming "Northerners" and "commies" were coming in and
"stirring things up," as if there wasn't anything wrong whatsoever going on before troublemakers tried to butt in.

That surely is an old, worn out accusation, isn't it?

And all in an official government message, to top it off.

[EFerrari]

13. That's right. It's an old, old gambit. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

8. You bet they closed down the real information. They didn't need to bother, however,

considering our corporate media wasn't even close to publishing, broadcasting ANY information about a U.S. ally sending his police to fire down into a crowd of indigenous protesters from a group of helicopters.

It doesn't work that way here, does it, or we would have been reading and hearing about Colombian villagers being tortured and murdered by government-connected paramilitaries (death squads) with chainsaws.

We've learned we have to keep beating the bushes to find any news at all about the abundance of REAL, screaming atrocities committed against the poor in the U.S. allied countries, Peru, and Colombia.

Well, they're going to have to do better than simply claim we should ignore what we heard, as there were also photos which made it out of the country, as well as the stories they claim are lies.

Here's info. on how well "Two Breakfasts" Alan Garcia, Peru's President swatted down news before it could get out:

Amazon radio taken off air for bogus reasons after reporting on Peruvian riots
Date: June 16, 2009 Author: Newswatch Desk

Reporters sans Frontières (RSF) has condemned as “bogus” and “dishonest” technical and official explanations given by the Ministry of Transport and Communications for banning broadcasting by the radio station La Voz de Bagua Grande in the town of the same name in Peru’s north-west.

Paris-based RSF called on the government, unhappy at the media’s support for recent indigenous peoples’ demonstrations, to respect rules for the station’s approval including time limits fixed by itself.

“No-body is fooled by the reasons advanced by the government for silencing La Voz de Bagua Grande. This comes after recent clashes in the Amazonian region between government forces and the indigenous population,” RSF said.

“Several voices, both within the police and the government, have accused the station of encouraging the riots. If this accusation was well-founded, why resort to administrative and technical arguments to justify revoking the broadcast licence of La Voz de Bagua Grande? It is an act of censorship and intimidation. We call on the government to keep its own word and to allow the station the right to resume broadcasting”, it said.

More:
http://www.newswatch.in/newsblog/4290

~~~~~~~~~~~

Reporters Without Borders condemns closure of radio station in Peru
15 June, 2009 < 12:06 >

LivinginPeru.com
Isabel Guerra

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has published a document in its website calling "misleading" and "dishonest" the technical and administrative reasons given for closing the Amazonian station "La Voz de Bagua Grande" (La Voz de Utcubamba).

The decision to close the station came days after the radio was accused of “fomenting the riots between the Armed Forces and native populations,” remarked RSF noted in its statement.

"If this accusation had grounds, why using administrative and technical arguments to justify the cancellation of the station's license?” adds the statement, stating that this is “an act of censorship and intimidation.”

The Peruvian Minister of Interior, Mercedes Cabanillas, had publicly threatened to shut down that station and "Radio Orient" for its alleged "support" of violence against law enforcement officials, recalls Reporters Without Borders.

"This is further evidence of a serious governmental prejudice against freedom of press,” says RSF.

http://www.livinginperu.com/news/9345

~~~~~~~~~~~
So glad your message to the Peruvian President at least was read by someone there! No doubt it will stick in his/her mind for a while, and with any luck it will be passed along.

Your message should be a great lesson to many of us on how to construct something which will probably make an impact quickly.

Thanks for posting the response.

[EFerrari]

10. It was forwarded to several mailboxes. So at least four people

had to deal with the subj line. :grr:

[EFerrari]

12. And check this out, Judi Lynn: one of the addys is to the State Department

[e-mail]

So, when you email Garcia, State gets a copy. Interesting. I wonder if that's the same no matter what government you email or just some governments.

[Judi Lynn]

20. Can't figure that out! I wouldn't expect it to be universal, would you? n/t

[EFerrari]

22. I have no idea. Maybe it's just to Bush's lapdogs?

I've emailed Ven and Ecuador and there was no (visible) distribution list like this one. :shrug:

[elmaji]

45. The paramilitary in Colombia isnt anymore connected to the government than the guerilla.

A scandal about Congressmen/Governors being involved with dealings with certain groups != connected with. Especially when those Congressmen or Governors are put in jail.

By the same logic you could say each and every member of the USA is connected to big business and the us goverment is reponsible for the death of all the americans who died from smoking Tobacco or lack of healthcare or so forth.

And if that is the case, the american people has no place to bitch about Peru OR Colombia.

[EFerrari]

48. You forget that we're FUNDING the @ssholes in Colombia

and in Peru. Yes, we sure do get to bitch about them. Any person with a conscience has to.

[elmaji]

51. No you don't.

The whole reason Colombia and Peru are the way they are is due to America. Both your stupid War on Drugs and your demand for Drugs.

You don't get to cause problems like 50 years of violence and massacres and then bitch when people break a couple of kneecaps trying to stop it.

Say everything you want to about Uribe and Fujimori, but they were able to do in 6 years what you American's weren't able to do in over 50.

[EFerrari]

53. LOL. Uribe is a butcher and so is Garcia.

But thanks for rushing to their defense. It's always good to get to know my fellow DUers.

[elmaji]

54. Uribe is not a butcher. I don't know about Garcia.

But as for Uribe he has done nothing wrong.

I love when Liberals come out defending the new socialists of South America, considering how authoritarian they are compared to the traditional leftists of countries like Colombia and Chile, and how the major branching organization they are part of has amongst its members the FARC, the deadliest Terrorist organization in history.

You know, but I lived through Colombia from 1998 to 2005, I don't think you've experienced anything similar to having your family members kidnapped while driving on a highway between the two biggest cities in the nation and held for ransom. I don't think you've experienced having car bombs set off a few houses over. I don't think you've experienced the fear of being in a area where everyday new people are taken by Communist Guerillas, the same Guerillas these leaders of the New Left in South America have supported for years. And its not just allegations made by crazy wingers like Piedad Cordoba that link them, as with Uribe and the Paramilitaries, instead it's documents revised by the UN and the very branch organization they are apart of.

American's tend to not think when they side with things in South America. They think everything is Black and White, "poor indians", "poor union workers" etc. And my heart goes out to the Natives, my heart goes out to the Union Workers it really does. I feel extremely bad than anyone has to die. But what you American's forget, ever so sure about knowing everything, is that in South America no politician is innocent. And in South America there really is no freedom, there really are no good guys. Just different kinds of authoritarianism, different kinds of fears, and different kinds of thugs.

Although you'd know everything about that, since you had a hand in creating all those thugs, wouldn't you?

[EFerrari]

55. Uribe is a butcher and he's so corrupt, Interpol won't even work with

Colombia any more. And yes, I know much more than I want to know about the US hand in creating both of them, hermanito.

[elmaji]

56. Interpol won't work with Colombia not because of Uribe.

Because of the Generals that work under him.

This is not news. Colombian generals have always been corrupt. The only thing is NOW under Uribe the things these Generals do is coming to light.

That's a amazing testament to Uribe more than anything else.

But please, continue to blame the crime of corrupt people other than Uribe on Uribe himself.

Typical.

[EFerrari]

57. So are their business connections to him coming to light,

as are the connections of most of his corrupt assembly. And I have no intention of asking you for advice. :hi:

[elmaji]

58. What?

Made zero sense bub.

Uribe doesn't really have a assembly, furthermore I don't know how it is in the USA, but in Colombia corrupt Senators are not the fault of the President.

[EFerrari]

59. Right. It's just an accident that these lawmakers are all his associates.

lol

[elmaji]

60. ...Obama had a lot of strange associates too

Last time I checked associating with a criminal does not make one a criminal.

In fact that's one of the tenets of a basic justice system.

[EFerrari]

61. Either Uribe is a criminal butcher or he is unconscious

of his personal connections and surroundings and his government is out of control. You can't have it both ways.

Colombia bill allowing Uribe re-election takes blow
Fri Jun 19, 2009 10:44pm BST

Lawmakers nervous about court probe of process
By Hugh Bronstein

BOGOTA, June 19 (Reuters) - The final vote on a bill aimed at letting popular Colombian President Alvaro Uribe seek a third term next year was postponed on Friday, decreasing chances it will pass in time to allow him to run.

Different versions of the measure have passed the Senate and lower House. A bicameral reconciliation commission put aside the bill until Congress reconvenes on July 20.

The committee appeared to have enough votes to pass the proposal, which calls for a voter referendum asking for a change in the constitution to allow an immediate third term.

But lawmakers are nervous about a court investigation into the legality of the process by which Uribe's supporters collected signatures in support of the referendum proposal.

The presidential election is only 11 months away.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKN1945146020090619?rpc=401&

This guy can't even collect signatures without breaking the law.

[elmaji]

65. Hardly either.

Colombia does not equal the United States, most of the branches of goverment are very independent.

Furthermore finding people that are trustworthy in Colombia is infamously difficult.

As for collecting signatures, I wouldn't say that's the main problem. His approval ratings are above 70%. In Colombia silly legal issues are still bought up quite often. I don't have a doubt that the signatures needed for these things could be collected considering the mans massive popularity.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

14. What were his comments reg. indigenous people? nt

[EFerrari]

15. He said they weren't really first class citizens of Peru

and the implication was, they had no say in the disposition of the lands in question.

He went right for the racism, the douchebag.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

16. .

:wtf: I knew I'd regret asking in the first place. Why so many Peruvians voted to re-elect one of the most (if not the most) corrupt presidents in their history is beyond me. What a jagoff.

[EFerrari]

18. I don't know what they vote on or how real those elections are.

El Salvador had fake elections for most of the 20th Century, for example. Maybe somebody else can tell us.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

19. Unfortunately, I think the vote was legit. I was watching the

returns at a friends house and the outcome made sense. The "comemierdas" in the big cities voted for García. While the poorer folk in rural areas voted for Humala. I think the last minute "commie" propaganda worked and the margins were relatively close as expected.

[EFerrari]

21. You guys know more than I do. The thing is, if they keep it very close

then people feel like there was a real contest. If the PTB in Iran had done that, I bet there would have been no protest at all.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

23. I shouldn't rule it one way or another. You never know. Elections are easily

stolen when the victory margin is close (not that it's ever happened here ;)). But I've not read or heard of any fraud allegations. I'm not saying it would surprise me if it happened.......

[EFerrari]

28. If the government thinks it can kill Indians in secret

I can only imagine what they're doing with votes. The BushCo coup gave us all a grad seminar on the behavior of impunity, didn't it? :)

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

30. Shame on you. These politicians have our best interests at heart.

It is these pesky "natives" that keep jumping in front of these bullets........ Yes, that's the ticket.

[Judi Lynn]

24. Looking for a link for his "not first class" assertion, I was startled to by the reminder

of something I had totally forgotten:

Garcia also used snipers against the indigenous, staning on rooftops. So much has happened this got lost in the traffic!

http://4.bp.blogspot.com.nyud.net:8090/_7Se7iswAanA/Sim37nyO4dI/AAAAAAAAHuY/DNfFuE2jdgs/s400/bagua0133.JPG

Here's a great blog article which would be useful to people who didn't read about this already:
http://www.incakolanews.blogspot.com/2009/06/peru-police-use-snipers-to-kill-in.html

[EFerrari]

25. Socialist Worker has it. I first saw it on a video clip.

Peru: Hundreds dead in attacks
by Mike Gonzalez

According to Peruvian president Alan García, the Amazonian peoples “are not first class citizens”.

This is his justification for the continuing vicious attacks on them with helicopter gunships and heavily armed soldiers.

At 5am on June 5, near the town of Bagua, new attacks left hundreds dead and injured.

The parliament has twice declared that these assaults are unconstitutional. A group of MPs who supported the Amazonian struggle were suspended and the leader of AIDESEP, the Amazonian people’s organisation, accused of murder.

http://www.socialistworker.co.uk/art.php?id=18204

[elmaji]

46. Lovely. Socialist Workers online. Really?

Really? No Really?

What next? WSWS?

This communist diatribe is get really tired out.

I don't beleive propaganda, I don't care if it comes from the left or the right.

[EFerrari]

49. Don't worry. We won't let the commies get you.

The video link is below. As I said, we have this @sshole Garcia on tape.

[EFerrari]

26. Found it. Video on Amy's segment, Garcia's statement at 41:54

http://www.democracynow.org/2009/6/10/peru

ETA: And the lack of distribution this clip shows you how little attention this whole situation is getting, proving L. Coyote's point on his weekend thread.

[Judi Lynn]

35. That's it! Can't believe he's claiming THEY are making a "serious mistake."

Someone surely made a serious mistake, and it's not the people who are begging to keep their homes, their ancestral homeland, just as the law has promised.

Yes, L Coyote was right. Damned sad, REALLY sad.

They should run Garcia right out of there, and not wait for the next election.

[G_j]

27. K&R

thank you

[EFerrari]

34. Thank you, G_j. n/t

[Solly Mack]

29. K&R

[EFerrari]

32. Thanks, Solly Mack.

[ColbertWatcher]

36. Thank you for posting this.

If only the GOP-controlled media could cover more than one story at a time.

[EFerrari]

37. Maybe the answer is, WE can.

:loveya:

[EFerrari]

38. Kick

[L. Coyote]

39. Thanks for posting the "risne and repeat" official fiction. The TRUTH is out there!

[EFerrari]

40. It is! And if we force them to spin, we're wasting their calories.

[Agony]

41. K&R "implementation of the U.S.-Peru free trade agreement"

IPS reporting... another effing mess precipitated by "implementation of the U.S.-Peru free trade agreement"

LIMA, Jun 19 (IPS) - The Peruvian Congress repealed Thursday two of the most controversial decrees that sparked protests by indigenous groups which ended in bloodshed early this month.

The decrees opened up native territories in the Amazon jungle to mining, oil drilling, logging and agribusiness.

President Alan García admitted Wednesday that his government had made a mistake by failing to consult with indigenous communities before passing 10 decrees that modified Peru’s legal and regulatory framework on access to and use of natural resources in the country’s Amazon jungle region.

The decrees, which were passed by the government in June 2008 under special powers granted by Congress to facilitate implementation of the U.S.-Peru free trade agreement, were declared unconstitutional in December 2008 by a multi-party parliamentary commission because they undermined the right of native people to prior consultation with respect to mining projects or other economic activities affecting their communities and their collectively-owned territories.

http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=47297

BAGUA, Peru, Jun 15 (IPS) - The Peruvian government described the recent deaths of police officers in clashes with indigenous protesters in the country’s Amazon rainforest as "genocide" at the hands of "extremist savages."

But Awajún leader Salomón Aguanash said the violence broke out after the protesters were tricked and were surrounded by the police, who came with express orders to shoot to kill.

Aguanash, president of the regional protest committee that led the two-month demonstration and roadblock in Bagua, says the local police chief, General Víctor Uribe, had promised the night before the tragic events of Friday, Jun. 5 to give the protesters until 10:00 AM the next day to pull out.

He said the indigenous people manning the traffic blockade were getting ready to return to their towns and villages on Friday morning when the police showed up at the roadblock before 6:00 AM and opened fire.

"They wanted to catch us off guard," said Aguanash, who is the chief of the village of Nazareth, a 3.5-hour drive from the town of Bagua in the northern province of Amazonas, where the violent incident took place.

The first shots against the protesters who were preparing to lift the roadblock at a spot on the highway near Bagua known as Curva del Diablo (Devil’s Curve) came from the surrounding hills as well as three police helicopters, said the native leader.

http://ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=47230


Agony

edit:title

[Judi Lynn]

42. Thanks for posting the link with TwoBreakfast Garcia's claim the protesters are "savages."

I read that earlier, and was deeply angry that he felt free to say something that dirty.

The man who ordered his military helicopters to circle overhead and shoot down at the bodies of the protesters is the one who's a SAVAGE, crude, primitive asshole.

http://cache.daylife.com.nyud.net:8090/imageserve/05L06K39lj16d/610x.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com.nyud.net:8090/123/354915320_63051b31c2.jpg

The Dancing King, Alan Two Breakfasts Garcia
This is not the first time he has ordered a massacre. He also had people executed when they least expected it during the 1980's.

[EFerrari]

43. Thanks, Agony.

[truedelphi]

44. Blessings to you for getting in touch with the embassy. And boy, is their

Response informative.

So no need to worry - not over 250 dead, but instead deaths number in the thirties. The Red Cross is right on hand apparently.

And last but not least, the destruction in the Amazon is the clear result of the activities of the crack-smoking indigenous peoples, and not Big Oil. So very very good to know.

[EFerrari]

47. Exactly! It's unbelievable in any way.

:wow:

[elmaji]

50. Furthermore, why the fuck are we bitching about this?

Native Indian populations have no rights in the majority of countries, including the United States. The United States continues to move Native American reserves to areas that are simply more convenient for the Government, you don't think if big oil wanted to explore on Native American land in the USA they would have any difficulty doing so? We killed of our Native population systematically over the past 200 years.

Where the fuck do we have the right to say anything to Peru about what they're doing.

Pure hypocrisy towards the Third World. And people wonder why America isn't respected.

[EFerrari]

52. I can't speak for anyone else. I do it because I'm a Communist

and Hugo Chavez pays me to post at DU.

:rofl:

[truedelphi]

62. And maybe under Chavez' influence, you are anti-Catholicnutjobs to boot?

A friend of mine who lives off and on in Peru called to say that he had heard that the last surviving office of the Inquisition was finally going to shut down.

Where is this last office of the Inquisition? Why it's in Peru.

[EFerrari]

63. Omg. Talk about not getting the memo!

:hi:

[truedelphi]

64. For me, it is hard to fathom that

There were offices of the Inquisition still around.

:hi: back at cha! (My cats have me up late tonight.)

[elmaji]

66. Despite all this Colombia was the first South American Country to allow Civil Unions

Venezuela doesn't even have Civil Unions, or adoption and bans abortion except for the health of the mother.

Colombia is the only country in South America with exceptions for Fetal Defects and Rape.

Also the Colombian Government doesn't really do Marriage. They do Civil Unions. So Gays have the exact same rights as marriage, just despite it not being called that.

That gay rights initiative was supported by Uribe btw. Chavez will never support a gay rights bill.

[Judi Lynn]

67. Colombia has the highest rate of murder of union leaders in the entire world.

Colombia, as if that weren't enough, also has the 2nd highest number of displaced people, the 2nd worst humanitarian crisis in the world, second only to Sudan.

Colombia has a grotesque, loathesome, filthy history of atrocities, torture and slaughter of citizens, even using CHAIN SAWS, by the paramilitary death squads.

Colombia's military has made a habit of killing absolutely innocent citizens, and dressing them as FARCs, by attaching any number of clothing articles which could be used to "identify" them as rebels, as well as placing weapons on them to make them appear to be rebel fighters. It has become an international shame, known throughout the world. They call these framed dead people "false positives." By claiming they are killing so many rebels, they are able to inflate, manipulate the kill statistics, to exaggerate, to LIE, and the soldiers also get rewards for their bogus kills.

Peasant’s Murder Earns Long Jail Terms for Colombian Soldiers
May 17,2009

BOGOTA – A Colombian judge sentenced to 45 and 58 years in jail four soldiers who kidnapped and killed a peasant to claim he was a guerrilla slain in combat.

The convicts are a corporal and three privates who appeared before a court in Santa Rosa de Viterbo, a town in the northeastern province of Boyaca.

“The soldiers did not act in strict compliance with their duties as public servants, nor out of self-protection as they claimed in saying that the death was the result of an armed confrontation,” the judge found.

“On the contrary, it was shown that this was one more ‘false positive,’” the verdict continued.

Colombians have been shocked recently by revelations of numerous instances of “false positives,” cases where peasants, laborers and unemployed youths are killed in cold blood by soldiers seeking to inflate body counts.

More:
http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=334917&CategoryId=12393

The death squads have done this for a very long time, as well.

Colombia's President has used his position to publicly call out threats, insults to human rights workers, who are then recipients of death threats from death squads. No other country has the reputation of intimidating human rights workers to this degree. They get labeled "FARC sympathizers" by Colombia's creepy little President.

Colombia has also had a ferocious number of journalists either killed, or driven completely out of the country by death threats. The remaining journalists have admitted to journalists from other countries that they "self censor" (simply refuse to address the actual truth any longer) and they do it for self-preservation.

Even a political comedian, entertainment figure Jaime Garzon was assassinated by paramilitaries. That'll "learn him" to poke fun at government officials.

~snip~
“The murder of Jaime Garzón had a terrorist motive. The objective was to teach a lesson, instill fear and send a clear message to the intermediaries and family members of kidnap victims that resorting to mediation is unacceptable,” Judge Ballén Silva declared in pronouncing sentence.

The judge said that during the proceedings it had become clear that the AUC chief had declared Garzón a military target and ordered him to be killed.

More:
http://www.impunidad.com/index.php?showreporte=44&pub=108&idioma=us

Your President's head of the DAS (FBI,CIA, secret police, etc.) was discovered to be so hideously dirty he fled the country and had to be chased down by Interpol. He even arranged assassinations of labor leaders and activists:

April 13, 2006
The DAS scandals

If you’ve ever traveled to Colombia, then you’ve seen the DAS, the government’s Administrative Department for Security. As soon as you get off the plane, DAS employees are there to stamp your passport and, perhaps, to ask why you’re visiting.

The DAS does much more than stamp passports, though. It is a powerful agency, a sort of “secret police” institution founded in 1960. Its principal purpose is intelligence and counterintelligence, both domestic and international. However, it is also a law enforcement body whose agents have judicial police powers – they investigate crimes and can arrest and interrogate people. The DAS also provides bodyguards and security services for high government officials and other people at risk.

To someone familiar with the U.S. government, the DAS is a strange beast. It incorporates aspects of the FBI, the CIA, and the ICE (immigration). Plus, it is not part of any cabinet ministry like Defense or Interior – it is a part of the Colombian president’s office.

If you think this arrangement seems like a recipe for disaster, you’re right. Disaster has struck with a vengeance during Álvaro Uribe’s administration. According to recent reports in Colombia’s media and testimony from former officials, between 2002 and 2005 the DAS was essentially at the service of paramilitaries and major narcotraffickers. It drew up hitlists of union members and leftist activists, and even plotted to destabilize Venezuela.

All of this happened under the tenure of Jorge Noguera, Uribe’s DAS director from August 2002 until he left under a major storm cloud of scandal in October 2005. According to Rafael García, the agency’s former chief of information systems who has made a series of explosive allegations, “Jorge Noguera became the Vladimiro Montesinos of Alvaro Uribe’s government. He conspired against the governments of neighboring countries, he did away with leftist leaders, he participated in narcotrafficking operations, he maintained relations with paramilitary groups, etc. etc.”

More:
http://www.ciponline.org/colombia/blog/archives/000242.htm

There's tons of material people can find in research, as well as Colombian expatriots right here in this country who have shared their experiences with others for YEARS. This isn't a secret, even though, apparently, some idiots believe they can put ANYTHING over on US citizens and we'll never know the difference! Well, we're not all blind, and we're not all too lazy to look for the truth.

You are wasting your time if you think you're going to sell too much of that rot here. There are far more conscientious people here than there are fascist assholes.

[Judi Lynn]

68. Here's information for DU posters who might want to see a few facts on gay life in Colombia:

Wikipedia:

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) rights in Colombia have progressed since consensual homosexual activity was decriminalized in 1980 with amendments to the Criminal Code. Between February 2007 and April 2008 three rulings of the Constitutional Court granted registered same-sex couples the same pension, social security and property rights as for registered heterosexual couples. <1> Law reforms in the 1990s equalized the age of consent in Colombia at 14 for both homosexual and heterosexual sex.<1><2>

According to an April 2002 report by the Home Office of the United Kingdom, "It is not against Colombian law to be homosexual, but a considerable amount of public ill-will exists, as in most Latin American countries where a machismo attitude is widespread.

Constitution & Legal
Article 13 of the Colombian Constitution of 1991 states that "the State will provide conditions for the equality to be real and effective, and will adopt measures in favour of marginalised or discriminated groups." However, despite a number of favorable Constitutional Court rulings on LGBT rights, there are no specific laws against discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and police harassment of gays and lesbians has been a common occurrence, with transgendered people, especially, being the targets of "widespread ridicule and stigmatization."<1>

A 2002 assessment by the United Kingdom Home Office states that "administrative changes and court decisions since 1995 have brought in a different environment of rights and precedents."<3> In 1998, for example, the Constitutional Court ruled that public schoolteachers cannot be fired for revealing their sexual orientation, nor can private religious schools ban gay students from enrolling.<4> In 1999, the same court unanimously ruled that the armed forces could not ban homosexuals from serving, being a violation of constitutional guarantees of "personal and family intimacy" and "the free development of one's personality."<4> Nevertheless, "harassment and mistreatment of gays in the military continues."

~snip~
Gay life in Colombia today

According to a report in the Washington Post, "Bogota has a thriving gay neighborhood, bars whose patrons are openly gay and a center that provides counseling and legal advice to members of the gay community. Local politicians, among them Mayor Luis Eduardo Garzón and prominent members of Congress such as Senator Armando Benedetti, have supported the drive to give more rights to gay couples . . . but violence against gays is not uncommon and discrimination remains a recurring problem."<10>

As Elizabeth Castillo, a lawyer and gay rights advocate, has stated, "even with the new (same-sex couples) law, many partners in gay relationships would probably be denied health and other benefits. . . . It's possible things won't change for some people," even if the law on same-sex couples' rights were to be enacted.<10>

Social cleansing: Early 1990's
See also: Human rights in Colombia

Since the 1980s, amid widespread violence in Colombia, many gay, lesbian, and transgendered Colombians, along with thousands of other adults and children considered "human waste," "disposable people" (desechables),<11><12> have been the victims of assault, extortion, torture, and murder. For example, Grupo de Ambiente, a now-defunct gay-rights group, documented "328 murders by death squads (paramilitary groups) of lesbians and gay men between 1986 and 1990. Many of the bodies found showed signs of torture and mutilation."<4>

According to one report, in June 1992, in a town on the outskirts of Medellín, 5 gay men were taken from a gay bar and killed with submachine guns by a group of men. And in July 1994, human-rights lawyer Juan Pablo Ordonez reported that "around 7,000 of the 40,000 murders in Colombia last year were right-wing death-squad 'cleansings' of gays, transvestites and prostitutes." Ordonez subsequently was forced to flee for his safety to the United States after alleged persecution by Colombian police.<4> According to a 1996 report by Ordonez and Elliott, a Canadian lawyer,

Sexual minorities have become targets of the phenomenon known as "social cleansing" - the frequent, and often systematic, murder of those groups commonly referred to in Colombian society as "disposables": street children, vagrants, prostitutes, homosexuals and transvestites, and suspected petty criminals. The perpetrators point to an ineffective judicial system, and play to widespread fears about public safety, to "justify" their actions as "protecting" or "cleaning up" society, secure in the knowledge that they will never face prosecution or punishment for beating, torturing and murdering those who live on the social and economic fringes of Colombian society.<1>

More:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_Colombia

This doesn't support your claims.

[EFerrari]

69. He already has. It was part of the omnibus referendum

that was voted down. You have no idea what you're talking about.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

71. It helps to know these things before opening your mouth. Just sayin'.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=abgQ6qPTBoi8&refer=latin_america

The race is too close to call, Schemel said. Other recent polls have found the two sides in statistical ties among people certain to vote. Voters will decide whether to nationalize natural gas fields, guarantee gay rights and cut the work day to six hours, among other proposals.

[Judi Lynn]

70. Kick, recommend, of course!

:kick: :kick: :kick: