Indigenous Peoples of Peru and Panama gain victories in struggles to protect land
June 20, 2009 - 6:45am | by brianbeaton
Major Victories for Indigenous Peoples of Peru and Panama --Thanks to you.
Panama's Ngöbe Indians Win Major Victory at Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
After two years of brutal government repression and destruction of their homeland, the Ngöbe Indians of western Panama won a major victory yesterday as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights called on Panama to suspend all work on a hydroelectric dam that threatens the Ngöbe homeland. The Chan-75 Dam is being built across the Changuinola River by the government of Panama and a subsidiary of the Virginia-based energy giant AES Corporation. The Commission's decision was the result of a petition filed last year by the Ngöbe, after AES-Changuinola began bulldozing houses and farming plots. When the Ngöbe protested the destruction of their homes, the government sent in riot police who beat and arrested villagers, including women and children, and then set up a permanent cordon around the community to prevent anyone from entering the area. In addition to threatening the community, the dam will irreversibly harm the nearby La Amistad UN Biosphere Reserve.
After two years of brutal government repression and destruction of their homeland, the Ngöbe Indians of western Panama won a major victory yesterday as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights called on Panama to suspend all work on a hydroelectric dam that threatens the Ngöbe homeland. The Chan-75 Dam is being built across the Changuinola River by the government of Panama and a subsidiary of the Virginia-based energy giant AES Corporation. The Commission's decision was the result of a petition filed last year by the Ngöbe, after AES-Changuinola began bulldozing houses and farming plots. When the Ngöbe protested the destruction of their homes, the government sent in riot police who beat and arrested villagers, including women and children, and then set up a permanent cordon around the community to prevent anyone from entering the area. In addition to threatening the community, the dam will irreversibly harm the nearby La Amistad UN Biosphere Reserve.
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The indigenous peoples of Peru have won an historic battle to defend their rights and prevent corporate devastation of the Amazon rainforest. Since they began their protests on April 9, indigenous men, women and children suffered violent repression by Peruvian police and military forces.
Yesterday, at the President's request, the Peruvian Congress repealed two laws that would have permitted multinational oil, mining and logging companies to rampage the Peruvian Amazon with no regard to the rights, opinions and territories of over 30,000 indigenous people. The laws had been approved to pave the way for implementation of a Free Trade agreement with the US.
Controversial Free Trade Laws Revoked by Peru's Congress
The indigenous peoples of Peru have won an historic battle to defend their rights and prevent corporate devastation of the Amazon rainforest. Since they began their protests on April 9, indigenous men, women and children suffered violent repression by Peruvian police and military forces.
Yesterday, at the President's request, the Peruvian Congress repealed two laws that would have permitted multinational oil, mining and logging companies to rampage the Peruvian Amazon with no regard to the rights, opinions and territories of over 30,000 indigenous people. The laws had been approved to pave the way for implementation of a Free Trade agreement with the US.
As a result, indigenous leaders called off the strikes and blockades that have paralyzed the Amazon region for more than two months. One indigenous leader, charged with sedition, escaped to Nicaragua where he was granted asylum.
THANK YOU for sending letters to Peruvian president Alan Garcia demanding respect for the rights of Peru's indigenous peoples and protection of the planet's most precious natural resources. As we hear more from indigenous leaders in Peru, we may ask you to continue to support their negotiations with the government. Read more.