Tension between the government led by Alan Garcia and Peru's indigenous population has been mounting for the last weeks. Peoples from the Amazon region raised a red flag on the Ministry of Justice's plans to "dissolve" the Peruvian Jungle Inter-Ethnic Development Association (AIDESEP), the main pro-indigenous organization. The government thinks AIDESEP leader Alberto Pizango made a call for the Amazonian indigenous peoples to revolt in a press conference held in May 2009. The State Prosecutor, Clara Cahua, and AIDESEP leaders are to hold talks on November 5 in order to avoid the governmental threat.

Relationship between native peoples from the Amazonian region and Alan Garcia's government has worsened during 2009.At the beginning of the year the indigenous groups organized several protests against the Peruvian government decrees on private exploitation of gas and oil. Clashes reached their peak last June as attempts by the authorities to stop demonstrations and road blocks ended up in the so-called Bagua massacre, in which dozens of demonstrators and police officers died.

As a result, Alan Garcia's cabinet abolished a number of controversial decrees, but did not soften his pressure over the Amazonian peoples and AIDESEP. The government ordered search and arrest of Alberto Pizango on sedition and homicide charges and for attacking the military in Bagua. Pizango then sought political asylum in Nicaragua, where he has announced his plans to run for Peru's presidential elections.

International complaints
Only this week the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) has issued a report on the Bagua case, which is very critical with the Peruvian government in its conclusions. The FIDH says "violations of the right to life, violations of the right to a fair trial, arbitrary arrests and attacks against free will and freedom of speech were perpetrated" on June 5 and 6. It also states that the "criminalization of indigenous leaders obstructs the possibility of a good faith dialogue".

The international organization calls for the establishment of an independent commission for an exhaustive, objective and impartial investigation, and urges the Peruvian State to respect international covenants and treaties protecting the rights of indigenous peoples, stop the persecution of indigenous leaders and refrain from adopting unilateral decisions that may aggravate the situation.

Further information:

• AIDESEP: La orden de disolver AIDESEP
• El Mercurio: Gobierno peruano pide disolución de la principal organización de indígenas
• EPA: La FIDH pide que finalice la persecución de líderes indígenas en Perú por los sucesos de junio
• FIDH: Perú : Derramamiento de sangre en el contexto del paro amazónico - Urge abrir diálogo de buena fe
• Nationalia:Students and workers join indigenous protests against Peruvian government.