Cuarto Ambiente

NYC Amazon Peru protest of solidarity May 2009

A protest was held today at the Peruvian Mission to the UN, in solidarity with the Amazon Indigenous peoples of Peru and their struggle against attempts of the Peruvian government to allow multinational oil, gas, logging and mining corporations to take over their land, without previous consultation.

The rally started at the headquarters of the United Nations, where Indigenous peoples from around the world and advocates from several organizations gathered, and then walked over to the Peruvian mission located a couple of blocks away in midtown Manhattan.

The protesters demanded for the government of Alan Garcia to respect the Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples adopted by the UN in 2007, the ILO 169 agreement that includes the right of popular consultation, and to stop attacking Indigenous peoples and allowing the destruction of the Amazon forest in benefit of multinational corporations.

The leaders participating in this march came from several Indigenous nationalities of the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa, along with advocates from non-profit organizations of the United States, who are participating at the 8th. Session of the UN Permanent Forum of Indigenous Issues.

Repression

Meanwhile the Peruvian government has started a judiciary prosecution of six Indigenous leaders for the crimes of rebellion, sedicion and conspiration against the Peruvian State. The Inter Ethnic Association of Development for the Peruvian Amazon - AIDESEP, announced that they will continue their strikes and that a delegation of the United Nations will travel to Peru to evaluate the current situation.Peruanista blog