Peru Military to Help Mitigate Effects of Amazon Protests

The Peruvian government on Saturday authorized the armed forces to support the police in some Amazon areas of northern and eastern Peru, where indigenous groups have carried out protests since April 9.

The Inter-Ethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Jungle, or Aidesep, the biggest group representing indigenous communities in the Peruvian Amazon, has led a series of protests since April 9 including blockades of highways, rivers and even provincial airports, as well as operations against oil and gas companies that have required the intervention of security forces.
The protests have been sparked by the government’s refusal to give Indians decision-making power over the granting of licenses to explore and extract oil and natural gas, with the argument that the subsoil belongs to the state and to all Peruvians and not only to the communities that live there.

Aidesep President Alberto Pizango on Friday called for an uprising by Indians in the region after the breaking off of talks with the government.

Indians in the regions of San Martin and Ucayali, however, lifted road blockades on Friday and said they were prepared once again to negotiate with the government.

Latin American Herald Tribune