Peruvians defy land grab laws

[Judi Lynn]

Peruvians defy land grab laws

Tuesday September 23rd 2008

Riots by indigenous groups in Peru have led to the repeal of controversial land laws, supported by President Alan Garcia, that sought to ease corporate access to the Amazonian jungle. According to two new legal decrees, foreign oil, logging and mining companies could be sold whole swathes of aboriginal territory without first consulting the inhabitants. Saul Puerta Peña, leader of the Peruvian indigenous association AIDESEP, organised the protests. He says that while the menace has been driven back there is still a long way to go before the rights of native Peruvians are recognised

Tuesday September 23rd 2008

I’m an Amazonian leader and I am leading the fight against the Peruvian government after it tried to sell our land to foreign investors. I don’t really speak Spanish. I'm Awajun and my native language is Awajun. I come from San Ignacio, a village in northern Peru, right in the middle of the Amazon jungle.

These native lands are the entitled properties of the Amazon people, and to sell them off without even consulting us is a violation of our ancestral rights. This is why we rioted on August 9. Well, how would you feel if all of a sudden some authority came to tell you that you had to get out of your house because a rich company wanted to settle there, and you had to find yourself another place to live?

The national nature reserves in the very heart of the Amazon jungle, where the uncontacted tribes live, are supposedly "protected" by the state – but even these places are not safe from the large corporations.

Amazon Indians think that, yes, we can handle things. We can handle the fact that food prices are rising – we can handle almost everything. But now they want to sell off our territories, and that's way too much. We will never allow that. We live there. Our lands are ancient and we will give our lives for them. We will not accept eviction, even if they send soldiers and policemen.

The Awajun, my people, are very strong. My village is known for being rebellious. We have resisted invaders of all kinds – the Incas, the Spanish, colonists and loggers. That’s one reason why we are not worried.

More:
http://www.guardianweekly.co.uk/?page=editorial&id=736&catID=6