[WSF-Discuss] Fwd: Proposed Peru suspends land laws. Salute to the Amazon fighters

[raphael at democraciaglobal.org]

Dear all,

yesterday peruvian congress did overturn the infamouse jungle laws,  
against which indigenous organizations were protesting... The tone of  
the government has changed radically as well, with the recognition of  
their failure to consult the indigenous previously... Simultaneously  
the government insists that new laws have to be made to "develop and  
protect" the Amazone region...

Definately the threat of the deepening of the neoliberal project isn´t  
over, but at the same time the events of the last two weeks have meant  
a serious setback and defeat... it also launched the amazonian  
indigenous as a definitive crucial political actor in the country, and  
contributed to precarious new relations in between different peruvain  
movements and actors...

Finally, Alberto Pizango, president of Aidesep, is in Nicaragua, as  
his order of detention still remains in place... There is also  
discusion of how to organize an investigation in the events in  
Bagua... The government is proposing that this has to be done by  
congress members, whilst others including the oposition demand an  
independent mission... Obviously, we´ll keep following the events...

In Lima, we are organising, together with severall NGOs and social  
organizations, as well with CLACSO (the Latin American Social Sciences  
Council) a Public Forum: The Struggles for Territory: Amazonia, Mining  
and Popular Ecologism... Results and transmission will be available on  
our website: www.democraciaglobal.org.

Warm greetings

R





Quoting raphael at democraciaglobal.org:

>
> Dear all,
>
> It is a complicated situation.. The laws have been suspended but not
> overruled... Allthough this does mean that the governement had to back
> down (due to the enormous international pressure, continuos indigenous
> mobilizations, and support from othe social organizations in the
> country), but they do not want to admit that the laws are against the
> constitution... Simultaneously they have invited the indigenous again
> to dialogue... It is obvious that they will try to push through similar
> laws in the near future, but they need things to calm down first (in a
> sense it remains the same strategy)...
>
> At the same time nobody is taking political responsibility for the
> violence and the deaths... And the persecution of the principal leaders
> of the movement is going on... Therefore social organizations around
> Peru are going to the streets anyway (in Lima in one and a half
> hour)... The demands are overturning all the laws affecting the
> indigenous without their consent... Stepping down of the government,
> and others...
>
> In any case, the government has been surprised and overwhelmed by   
> the strength of the indigenous protests, the mobilization of   
> non-indigenous organizations in Peru, and the international   
> solidarity... The fight is not over yet, and all of us have to be   
> very closely watching what´s gonna happen today and in the coming   
> weeks...
>
> Warm greetings from Lima
>
> Raphael
>
> PD. I paste below the pronunciamiento of the Programa Democracia y   
> Transformación Global on the events of last week:
>
>
> EL PROGRAMA SE MANIFIESTA EN SOLIDARIDAD CON LA LUCHA AMAZONICA
>
> Como Programa Democracia Y Transformación Global queremos manifestar  
>  nuestro profundo repudio, tristeza e indignación por la masacre de   
> indígenas, policías y otros civiles en Bagua, el pasado 5 de junio,   
> así como nuestra solidaridad activa con los Pueblos Indígenas de la   
> Amazonía Peruana que luchan en la defensa legítima de sus derechos.
>
> Afirmamos que la violencia en Bagua, que se precede por la   
> imposición de decretos legislativos lesivos a la integridad de los   
> Pueblos Indígenas y la falta de voluntad política por resolver la   
> problemática de la amazonía, es la manera como opera el modelo   
> neoliberal negando el derecho de los pueblos indígenas de decidir   
> sobre su propio destino y tener una vida digna según su cosmovisión,  
>  costumbres y modelos de bienestar.
>
> Hay que recordar que el derecho a la consulta de los pueblos   
> indígenas está claramente contemplado en el derecho internacional   
> suscrito por el Estado Peruano. La violación de este derecho y la   
> violencia desatada sobre los manifestantes en Bagua, se inscribe en   
> el proceso histórico de más que quinientos años de opresión de las   
> comunidades y pueblos indígenas de América.
>
> En la historia de imposición del modelo neoliberal en el Perú, lo   
> acontecido en la Amazonía es otro hecho lamentable. Dicho proyecto   
> fue impulsado por el Fujimorismo, consolidado por Alejandro Toledo,   
> y profundizado por el actual gobierno Aprista. Entendemos que los   
> decretos legislativos representan una herramienta esencial en la   
> consolidación de este modelo político económico y forma de vida,   
> principalmente en el actual contexto de implementación de los TLCs.
>
> El ánimo confrontacional con que se presentan las posiciones del   
> partido de gobierno, el APRA y su gabinete ministerial, nos revelan   
> un nivel de insensibilidad atroz por el valor de la vida, imponiendo  
>  la masacre frente al diálogo. La insensatez para legislar y   
> administrar el Estado por parte de esta clase política sólo degenera  
>  los valores por las cuales se instituyen cualquier sociedad   
> realmente democrática como la libertad, la igualdad y la justicia.   
> La actitud de parte del jefe de estado de calificar a las   
> comunidades indígenas como ciudadanos que no son de primera   
> categoría, reaviva el conflicto, el enfrentamiento entre peruanos y   
> peruanas, y fortalece el carácter centralista, racista y excluyente   
> del Estado Nación.
>
> También queremos denunciar la campaña de desinformación mediática   
> emprendida por el gobierno que impide al pueblo peruano conocer los   
> hechos verdaderos sucedidos en Bagua. Así mismo rechazamos la   
> campaña de criminalización de las organizaciones indígenas y de   
> instituciones de derechos humanos, como también la persecución   
> política de los dirigentes amazónicos. Entendemos que estas son   
> parte de una estrategia de acallar las demandas democráticas   
> legítimas de las y los ciudadanos por parte del Estado.
>
> Frente a esta situación afirmamos el derecho de los pueblos a elegir  
>  libremente su propio modelo de desarrollo y de democracia. Por lo   
> tanto, queremos expresar nuestro apoyo a nuestros y nuestras   
> hermanas indígenas amazónicas en la demanda por la derogación de los  
>  decretos legislativos que vulneran sus derechos al territorio, a la  
>  consulta y a la autonomía comunitaria. Su lucha es la nuestra, una   
> lucha por un Perú más justo, democrático y digno, basado en la   
> diversidad de sus pueblos, en respeto y armonía.
>
>
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>
> Quoting Jai Sen <jai.sen at cacim.net>:
>
>> Thursday, June 11, 2009
>>
>> I have just received this news about the situation in Peru.
>>
>> I have also heard ? from a good source in Canada ? that there is a   
>>   big celebration taking place in Lima today.
>>
>> If all this is true, then I don?t know why there is not more news    
>>  flying around about this !  Because even if one is to be cautious,  
>>    this is tremendous victory for the peoples of Peru and for    
>> democratic struggle there and everywhere !!
>>
>> It?s late in the evening here, and so, before I clock out, I am     
>> sending this out to all of you without waiting for more details.
>>
>>            All power to the movements of Peru who made this happen !
>>
>>            JS
>>
>> fwd
>>
>> Begin forwarded message:
>>
>>> From: Xavier Dias <reachxdias at gmail.com>
>>> Date:  June 11 2009 8:49:37 PM GMT+05:30
>>> To: MAC LIST SERV <miningcomm at umich.edu>, news at jharkhand.org.uk,    
>>>   Jharkhand at yahoogroups.co.in, CNet groups <chhattisgarh-    
>>> net at yahoogroups.com>,  Jai Sen <jai.sen at cacim.net>
>>> Subject: Proposed Peru suspends land laws. Salute to the Amazon  fighters
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Source : Al Jazeera
>>>
>>>
>>> Peru congress suspends land laws
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Peru has been rocked by violent clashes
>>> over Amazon oil exploration [AFP]
>>> The Peruvian congress has voted to temporarily suspend two land     
>>> laws that sparked violent clashes between indigenous protesters   
>>> and   police last week, killing at least 60 people.
>>>
>>> The laws, which encourage foreign mining and energy companies to    
>>>  invest billions of dollars in projects in the Amazon rainforest,   
>>>   were decreed by Alan Garcia, the Peruvian president.
>>>
>>> Garcia has 15 days to either sign the suspension order or send it   
>>>   back to congress, which can override his veto.
>>>
>>> It was not immediately clear for how long the suspension would   
>>> last   and Wednesday's vote was seen as a stop-gap measure to give  
>>>    congress more time to agree on a more permanent solution.
>>>
>>> 'Genocide'
>>>
>>>
>>> In video
>>>
>>> Deadly clashes rock Peru in fight over jungle land Protests   
>>> against   the laws turned violent on Friday when police opened   
>>> fire as they   tried to break through a highway blockade manned by  
>>>  thousands of   protesters.
>>> Thousands of indigenous people, many armed with wooden spears,   
>>> have   vowed to continue their blockades on remote Amazon jungle   
>>> highways   to defend their ancestral lands from developers.
>>>
>>> On Wednesday, Nicaragua granted political asylum to a protest     
>>> leader accused of sedition after the protests.
>>>
>>> Alberto Pizango had accused the government of Alan Garcia, Peru's   
>>>   president, of "genocide" following Friday's clashes.
>>>
>>> Peru's indigenous peoples say that Garcia's government did not     
>>> consult them in good faith before signing contracts that could     
>>> affect at least 30,000 indigenous people across six provinces
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> B 6 Abhilasha Apts
>>> 11 A Purulea Rd.
>>> P.O. Ranchi Jharkhand 834001
>>> INDIA
>>> Tel/fax: (O) +91 651 2532035 / 2531874 / 2532104
>>> Cell +91(India) 9431185072
>>
>> ______________________________
>> Jai Sen
>> jai.sen at cacim.net
>> CACIM, A-3 Defence Colony, New Delhi 110 024, India
>> www.cacim.net
>> Ph : +91-11-4155 1521, +91-98189 11325
>>
>> NEW :
>> ?On open space : Explorations towards a vocabulary of a more open    
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>> 2009)
>>
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>
>
>
> Raphael Hoetmer
> Coordinador
> Programa Democracia y Transformación Global
> Jirón 6 de Agosto 838 - Interior E
> Jesus Maria, Lima, Perú
> +51-1-4248329
> +51-1-992291952
> www.democraciaglobal.org
> www.cielos-cayendo.blogspot.com/
>
>
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Raphael Hoetmer
Coordinador
Programa Democracia y Transformación Global
Jirón 6 de Agosto 838 - Interior E
Jesus Maria, Lima, Perú
+51-1-4248329
+51-1-992291952
www.democraciaglobal.org
www.cielos-cayendo.blogspot.com/