A letter from Alexandra Buck in Peru
June 15, 2009
Friends,
Thank you all for your prayers and concerns for Peru. The situation in Bagua is stunning and heavy. We at the Red Uniendo Manos Peru have been following this situation now for weeks, cheering on the Amazon indigenous communities trying to defend their rights as people and peoples against the policies of Alan Garcia’s neoliberal, free-trade-loving government. We were all shocked and appalled by the violence used late last week in response to peaceful, democratic protests.
The future of democracy, development and human rights are all in play here in Peru. Watching the news with my Peruvian colleagues, I listened to outbursts and protests against the government’s callous interpretation of “order” and “citizenship.” Few media channels are showing live footage of the protests, and release of information about the number of dead has been controlled by the government. A curfew was called, which gives the government the opportunity to hide bodies. A mass grave of indigenous people has been discovered. And yet the government is on record for calling the indigenous protesters terrorists. For many Peruvians, this situation brings up memories of the terrible years of violence between government and guerrilla forces.
As people committed to fair trade, the Bridge of Hope team recognizes the horrific effects of the U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement in these events. As Garcia’s government pushes fast-track legislation to implement the FTA that would permit exploitative industries in the Amazon, residents of that area — indigenous peoples — are trying to voice their protest to protect their ancestral territory. The forces of globalization and neoliberalism silence these voices with military force by pushing guns into their faces. This is not a new story, unfortunately.
We, the Bridge of Hope team and all of the artisans, offer our solidarity to the indigenous communities in Bagua. With them, we hope for dialogue, transparency, respect, justice and peace, all requisite elements of fair trade.
Please keep walking with us. Tonight we will attend an ecumenical vigil, and tomorrow an interorganizational event. We need your prayers.
I’ve found some articles that have exceptionally good analysis of the situation. The Democracy Now Web site has an article from June 8 about the massacre of indigenous peoples in Bagua. And Public Citizen’s blog on globalization and trade, called “Eyes on Trade,” also has a good article that summarizes what is known about the massacre and the Peruvian government’s response.
At Amazon Watch’s Web site, you can send a statement of support of the indigenous communities to President Alan Garcia.
As we sign off at Bridge of Hope,
Hoping, praying and working,
Por un mundo màs justo y solidario
For a world with more justice and solidarity,
Alexandra Buck
