Demonstration Dates/Times and Government Contacts below videos.

IEN Condemns Violence in the Peruvian Amazon

The Indigenous Environmental Network (IEN) condemns the violent attacks on peaceful indigenous blockades in the Peruvian Amazon that has left up to 100 civilians* and 22 police* dead and hundreds injured. IEN recognizes the communiqué of the Indigenous regional organization, the Coordinating Body of Andean Indigenous Organizations (CAOI) calling upon indigenous organizations, social movements and human rights organizations around the world to take concrete action: letters to the Peruvian government, the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Indigenous Peoples, the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, Inter-American Commission Human Rights, International Labor Organization (ILO Convention 169) calling to immediately send missions to Peru, in order to stop the violence and respect indigenous rights.

CAOI and other reports from Peru are continuing to report the APRA government of Alan García Pérez acting out its repression in the Peruvian Amazon against the Indigenous peoples and its citizens. The human rights crisis illustrates the consequences of a systematic failure in the basic governance processes related to self-determination, land and forest tenure and failures of implementation of policies of consultation and provisions of free, prior and informed consent.

The mobilization of Indigenous peoples to defend their rights resulted in violence last Friday was a reaction to a series of laws promulgated by President Alan Garcia’s government over the past year. The laws contain provisions that Indigenous organizations believe threaten their fundamental rights to access and decision-making over their forests, resources and territories. These laws were written and passed into law without any formal or informal consultation with Indigenous peoples, in violation of Peru’s obligations under ILO 169 and despite Peru’s endorsement of the adoption of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at the 61st Session of the UN General Assembly in 2007.


This is the second time in less than a year that Peru’s Indigenous peoples in the Amazon have resorted to organizing massive and prolonged blockades of roads, rivers and extractive industry infrastructure, as their increasingly frequent calls for consultation and dialogue have gone unheard. This illustrates how ignoring peoples’ rights and meaningful participation in processes that affect their lands and livelihoods can lead to serious social conflict.

Included within this IEN Special Newsletter are Action Steps you could take. Activate your communities, Native Nations, organizations and networks and ask them to send letters to the Peruvian Government demanding an immediate cease to the violent repression and a suspension of the state of emergency.

- Tom Goldtooth, Executive Director, IEN

* Reports coming from the area are mixed due to an almost total media blackout. Video and first-hand accounts are being disseminated by individuals from environmental and social justice groups. Exact numbers of dead and injured range from 38 civilians and 10 police to 100 civilians and 22 police. Use the links included in this newsletter for up-to-date reports from websites directly reporting on the situation.

Click Here for first hand accounts and updates on the situations as they come in, from Ben Powless, Indigenous Environmental Network.

U.S. ACTION ALERT IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE PEOPLE OF PERU - stop violence and unnecessary deaths now! Honoring our fallen brothers and sisters victims of the Bagua massacre of June 5 and 6, 2009.

Our condolences go to the people of Peru, to the relatives, friends and communities of the Indigenous activists and the Police members who were killed in a tragic event that should have never occurred.

Emergency Demonstrations in the United States of Protest and Solidarity with the Amazon Indigenous Peoples of Peru

"Amazon Indigenous peoples are not first class citizens in Peru" Peru's president Alan Garcia, justifying his attacks on civilians using snipers and bombs, which has caused between 35 to 85 deaths and hundred of injured people."

Protest in front of the Peruvian Embassy in Washington DC
1700 Massachusetts Ave., N.W
Washington D.C. 20036
Monday June 8, 2009
12:30 PM EST

Protest in front of the Consulate General of Peru in Los Angeles, CA
3450 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Monday June 8, 2009
3:30 PM PST

Protest in front of the Consulate General of Peru in New York, NY
241 East 49th Street
between 2nd and 3rd Aves, Manhattan, NYC.
Wed, June 10
12:00 noon EST

IF YOU LIVE IN THE U.S. PLEASE ORGANIZE A PROTEST AT A CONGRESSIONAL OFFICE, A FEDERAL BUILDING OR CONTACT THE CLOSEST PERUVIAN CONSULATE.

The message is simple: stop genocide, stop violence, respect human rights, avoid useless casualties, promote dialogue and respect of Indigenous peoples rights in Peru, stop using U.S. free trade policies to destroy the lives of millions of peoples in Peru, promote democracy and equality.

Talking points:

Few minutes of your time can make a huge difference!

Indigenous peoples rights must be respected by Peru, included in the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, adopted in 2007.

The right of consultations with Indigenous peoples is included at the ILO 169 Convention. This must be done with respect and honest intention of defending the rights of all Peruvian citizens and not only the interests of multinational corporations.

This massacre is a direct result of an abusive implementation of policies included in the US-Peru Free Trade Agreement, by Peru’s president Alan Garcia who used it as an instrument of corporate corruption and collusion in the genocide of the Indigenous peoples.

The Peruvian government is presenting this tragedy as if it was caused by the Native peoples, which is not truth. Amazonian peoples protested without violence for almost 2 months, until the Police attacked them. All the casualties are unjustified and should have never happened.

The Peruvian media which is mostly biased and controlled by the government and corporate interests, is reporting that Police officers were kidnapped and massacred by the Indigenous peoples, but is not reporting about the abusive attack on civilians, and snipers and helicopters shooting at civilians including children. Witnesses have said that dead bodies were burned down and thrown to the rivers, and that police prevented civilians from rescuing injured protesters.

In the last 56 days, Amazonian Indigenous peoples of Peru are fighting to protect their territories, as the government of Lima has passed decrees that lease 73% of the Amazon forest and allow extractive industries corporations to take over their land, without previous consultation. The Amazonian peoples are requesting especifically for Lima to repeal those decrees.

Indigenous peoples do not oppose progress and private investment. They want to protect their land, their families and the environment, they want for corporations to respect their traditions and ways of living.

There have been years of protests since the signing of the Peru FTA by then presidents George W. Bush and Alejandro Toledo. Indigenous peoples have tried to dialogue, but the Lima government refused to listen and even prevented a national referendum in 2006.

As a way to protest and demand to be heard, the Amazon Indigenous peoples started popular strikes, oil facilities takeovers and road blockades in 8 regions of the country. This was replied by the Garcia administration by sending police and military forces to repress the protesters violently. People in Bagua responded burning down government buildings and lootings have also occurred.

Indigenous peoples value the land as a part of a our system of life, we don't own the land but we belong to it. There will not be a way for the government of Peru to impose its corporate benefiting laws because Indigenous people will defend their territories.

After the recent bloody attack, violence has slowed as today Sunday June 7. The military has taken over control of the region in conflict, but Lima has issued a warrant arrest for Alberto Pizango, the most prominent leader of the Amazon Indigenous peoples and his whereabouts are unknown at this moment.

Unfortunately, other leaders are also being prosecuted by the government and there is a possibility of future attacks of the military on other Indigenous communities. WE MUST ACT NOW!

Peru Emergency Fund

CLICK HERE To: Donate to Amazon Watch, a non profit that is working directly with the Indigenous peoples in strike. This fund will be used for medical relief for the wounded, media campaign led by indigenous organizations, and legal defense for those being charged.

Forward this to all your contacts, we are trying to spread the word and create awareness.

In defense of life, human rights and our mother earth we demand respect for the rights of the Indigenous peoples and for the preservation of our planet!

[Eng] English [Esp] Spanish

Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva Peruana – AIDESEP is the leading Amazon Indigenous peoples rights organization in Peru. [Esp]

Coordinadora Andina de Organizaciones Indigenas - CAOI [Esp]

Amazon Watch - a non profit working directly with Amazon peoples in strike: [Eng]

Enlance Nacional – an independent internet news channel in Peru with correspondents in the Bagua region. [Esp]

Servindi - Indigenous news from Peru. [Esp]

Facebook group "Solidarity with Peru / Solidaridad con Perú / Solidarité avec Pérou"

Q'orianka Kilcher On-Q Initiative