Ombudsman’s office calls for territorial planning to reduce conflicts

Peru’s national ombudsman – the Defensoria del Pueblo – said Friday that the government needs to promote territorial planning to define areas exclusively for agriculture to avoid future social conflicts, state news agency Andina reported. “A policy for land demarcation is basic so these activities can develop in a compatible way with the environment,” said [...]

Report finds 78 percent of indigenous children living in poverty

A report presented by UNICEF and the national statistics and technology institute, INEI, has found that in Peru 78 percent of indigenous children between the ages of three and 17  live in poverty, compared to 40 percent for children whose first language is Spanish, state news agency Andina reported. “The inequality is greatest among ethnic [...]

Reconciliation between Government and Amazon communities still far off, say Indigenous leaders

Reconciliation between Peru’s government and communities in the country’s Amazon region is still far off almost a year after deadly confrontations between indigenous protestors and authorities, CNR news service reported indigenous leaders saying Friday. “Reconciliation is still in process,” said indigenous leader Denis Pashanase. “There have been indigenous people and leaders prosecuted, people disappeared, and the [...]

Indigenous leader granted political asylum by Nicaragua following deadly melee in Peru’s Amazon

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.

Death toll rises in aftermath of clash between police and indigenous protesters in Peru’s north Amazon jungle

Indigenous communities in Peru’s Amazon, demanding the repeal of a series of decrees they say are promoting unchecked development in their territory, clashed with police on Friday, leaving up to 40 or more people dead, including at least 9 police officers and up to 28 indigenous protesters.

Chronology of the Current Amazon Issue

Abridged from “Chronicle of a Killing Foretold” by Instituto Bartolomé de las Casas, Lima ——— November 2007: President García publishes in the daily “El Comercio” his articles on “the dog in the manger syndrome” and “the dog in the manger reloaded,” where the President states: “The primary resource is Amazonia. It has 63 million hectares [...]

Fourth Indigenous People’s Summit to take place in Peruvian highland city of Puno

More than 2,000 indigenous leaders are expected to attend the 4th Continental Summit of Nations and Pueblos of Indigenous Peoples Abya Yala, set to take place in Peru’s highland city of Puno. The Summit, scheduled to run May 27-31 in Puno’s National Altiplano University, or UNA, will address issues such as the criminalization of protests, [...]

Navy gunboat and Perenco Co. ship break indigenous Napo River blockade

A Peruvian Navy gunboat and at least one other boat belonging to oil company Perenco broke through an indigenous blockade on the Napo River, where indigenous communities are protesting the contamination of their ancestral lands by mining companies, and demanding the repeal of a series of laws they say are promoting unrestricted oil exploration. The [...]

Kichua and Arabela indigenous communities block river traffic in Amazon to protest oil exploration and extraction on their ancestral lands

Approximately 2,000 members of Kichua and Arabela indigenous communities blocked off river traffic on Peru’s Curacay and Napo Rivers in northeastern department of Loreto Wednesday, to protest the contamination of their ancestral lands by mining companies, and to demand the repeal of a series of laws they say are promoting unrestricted oil exploration. According to [...]

National Statistics Institute: Peru is home to 1,786 indigenous communities

A total of 1,786 indigenous communities living in 11 Peruvian departments were geographically and cartographically identified during the latest nationwide population census, reported Peru’s national Statistics Institute, or INEI, on Wednesday. The recently published results of Peru’s 11th Population Census and Second Indigenous Communities Census — both conducted in 2007 — indicate that 1,786 indigenous [...]