Presidential Cabinet Chief Yehude Simon told lawmakers Monday that the leader of Peru’s largest Indigenous federation was holed up in the Nicarguan Embassy, protected by political asylum following a deadly melee with police in Peru’s northern jungle.
“Information has just come in from the Nicaraguan Embassy that states that this afternoon Alberto Pizango has sought refuge and that its government has accepted the request,” Simon said during a contentious appearance before the Congressional Defense Commission.
During the four-hour session, punctuated by shouting and recrimination, Simon angrily denied accusations from left-leaning lawmakers from the Peruvian Nationalist Party that he had blood on his hands for botching negotiations aimed at diffusing the protests.
Simon and Interior Minister Mercedes Cabanillas insisted that the death toll during the violent clashes Friday and Saturday totaled 24 police and nine Indians — disputing local media accounts that put the number of fatal casualties between 40 and 50 people.
“In the name of God, I tell you that we acted with respect for human rights (and) dialogue,” Simon said. “I feel responsible for the death of the police because we said they could not bear deadly weapons; that we should make those people withdraw.”
“The natives have exaggerated the number of victims, and have claimed that bodies were dumped into the river,” said Interior Minister Cabanillas, in response media account from Bagua that police dumped the bodies of natives into the Utcubamba River. “This is completely false.”
President Alan García on Sunday accused Amazon natives of “barbarity,” after months of peaceful protests by indigenous groups turned violent when 600 police officers attempted to forcibly remove protesters blocking a remote jungle highway.
From Peru’s capital, Lima, Garcia accused the indigenous communities of impeding progress by opposing gas and oil exploration on their lands, and blamed their opposition to his plans on “elemental ignorance” and manipulation by outside agitators — widely understood to mean Venezuela and Bolivia.
“There is a conspiracy aimed at stopping us from using our natural resources for the good, growth and quality of life of our people,” said García. “But I am sure that Peruvians — most of whom know that our country must stay on its course toward development, employment and investment — will support the actions aimed to put an end to subversion and terrorism.”
On Sunday, Rev. Casinaldo Ramos reported that a mass grave containing the bodies of several natives had been found in El Reposo, on the outskirts of the city of Bagua, where the protests were centered. Peru’s ombudswoman, Beatriz Merino, later confirmed the find.
For almost two months now, Pizango’s organization, the Interethnic Association for the Development of Peru’s Jungle, or Aidesep, and other Amazon groups have demanded the repeal of several Executive degrees enacted last year to comply with provisions of the Free Trade Agreement signed with the United States, as well as other laws they contend infringe on their own territorial rights. Decree 1090, also known as the Foestrly and Wildlife Law, is one of the most contentious, as it allows land to be sold if determined to be “of national interest.”
Violence erupted before dawn Friday on a remote jungle highway in the Bagua province of Amazonas department, after army helicopters, soldiers strategically positioned atop hills, and police began to hurl and fire tear gas grenades into the crowd of 5,000 protesters. The tear gas caused panic and angered the protesters, who responded with violence.
García sought to restore order over the weekend by sending in troops, and declaring a 3 p.m.-6 p.m. curfew in both Bagua and Utcubamba provinces. But, further unrest is feared on Thursday, when indigenous groups, human rights groups and trade unions plan a 24-hour strike in solidarity with Peru’s indigenous communities.
“There was a chain of errors that led to this unprecedented massacre,” said former Interior Minister Fernando Rospigliosi.
Since the protests began approximately two months ago, Premier Yehude Simon has used a hard line by refusing to pursue talks while the demonstrations were going on. Then last month, Peru´s government declared a 60-day state of emergency and called on the military to break up protests and river blockades, which were causing food and fuel shortages in Peru’s northern provinces.
This decision was criticized by political analysts and a number of leading economists and anthropologists, including Alberto Adrianzen, Pedro Francke, historian Sinesio López, Salomon Lerner, Humberto Campodonico and Ricardo Giesecke. They predicted it would lead to uncontrolled violence, as it did Friday in Bagua.
“Mistakes were made, of course,” said Simon in comments to CPN Radio. “In this case, the government was unable to communicate with the indigenous communities, thinking that it could develop the Amazon region from Lima.”
Protesters have demanded the immediate resignation of Cabanillas, Simon, and García, and have vowed to keep up pressure until their demands are met.
Opposition leaders are pressuring García to oust his cabinet. Last October, García swore in a new Cabinet, replacing seven of 17 ministers, and appointing Simon as premier to shore up his administration, deeply rocked by an oil concession kickback scandal.
