Peru’s War on the Indigenous
In a clash between indigenous groups and development interests, Peru has seen over 50 people die and hundreds go missing after President Alan Garcia initiated a campaign to open the rain forest to foreign investors.
The current wave of protests are part of a series of political resistance by indigenous groups, which are most starkly demonstrated by the successful repeal of two laws last year that opened up the Amazon to energy and mining companies.
BBC:
Human rights lawyers have accused Peru’s government of a cover-up, after clashes between police and indigenous protesters killed at least 50 people.
The lawyers say hundreds more may be missing, amid rumours that the police have hidden bodies. But they say rights groups cannot get in to investigate.
The government denies the claims and says police were the victims.
For two months Amazonians have rallied against laws which they say will open their lands to oil and gas drilling.
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