Peru Persecutes Indigenous Protestors Of A Toxic Mine
INTRODUCTION:
This is the urgent action appeal referenced by Dr. Barrito in the previous post. Special thanks to Julia Caudros of the organization, CooperAcción for informing us of this injustice.
With great concern I have come to learn about the news that 35 Peruvians, defenders of human rights and of the environment, municipal authorities, legal, technical and leading advisers of communities and community rondas, have been legally accused of terrorism for expressing their ideas, defending their rights and promoting a Local Referendum so that the population could express, freely, their opinion on the development of mining activities in their area.
Since 2003 the mining company Majaz S.A., today Rio Blanco Copper S.A., (of the British company Monterrico Metals PLC, whose major shareholder is the Chinese Consortium Zijin – Xiamen Zijin Tongguan Investment Development Co. Ltd.) have been promoting the Mining Project Rio Blanco located in the districts of Ayavaca and Carmen de la Frontera in northern Peru.
As you may know last September 16, the Local Referendum was carried out in the districts of Ayavaca and Pacaipampa in the province of Ayavaca and in the district of Carmen de la Frontera in the province of Huancabamba, both located in the northern region of Piura. More than 50 per cent (17,976 voters) of the electorate of these three districts took part in this civic event and 97% of them expressed their rejection of mining activities in their territories.
The accusations of terrorism seeks to discredit those that exercise lawfully and peacefully the defense of rural communities’ rights; those that defend the moorlands and cloud forests where a mining project intends to develop but who choose for a model of development based on agriculture and eco-tourism. This act of accusations also seeks to intimidate the whole society for the mere fact of expressing their disagreement with certain politics that wishes to silence its citizens.
We consider these accusations to be an outrage against those that act within the boundaries of the law and exercise their civic rights that the Peruvian Constitution protects. We request the Government and the national authorities of Peru, take action in order to avoid the violation of rights and fundamental liberties, by rejecting the denunciation and reinstalling the Round Table of Dialogue, – paralyzed by the leave of the Cabinet President- and in this way seek a peaceful means to end the conflict in the area.
Join us in our act of solidarity!
How to help:
Send the letter to the electronic directions (addresses) that are indicated by copy to CooperAcción’s mail.
Send to:
Dr. Alan García Pérez
Presidente de la República del Perú
Palacio de Gobierno
Plaza Pizarro, Jr. De la Unión s/n
Lima 1 – PERU (511) 311 4200 (511) 311 4711 [email protected]
Dr. Jorge Del Castillo Gálvez
Presidente del Consejo de Ministros
Av. Manco Cápac 879, Miraflores
Lima 18 – PERU (511) 610 9800 (511) 610 9680 [email protected]
Dra. Beatriz Merino
Defensora del Pueblo
Jr. Ucayali 388
Lima 1 – PERU (511) 426 78000 (511) 4267889 [email protected]
[email protected]
Dr. Luis Gonzáles Posada
Presidente del Congreso de la República
Plaza Bolívar s/n
Lima 1 – PERU (511) 311 7777 (511) 3117703 [email protected]
Ing. Juan Valdivia
Ministro de Energía y Minas
Av. Las Artes Sur 260, San Borja
Lima 41 – PERU (511) 475 0065
(511) 618 8700 (511) 224 4490 [email protected]
Dr. Luis Alva Castro
Ministro del Interior
Plaza 30 de Agosto s/n, San Isidro
Lima 27 – PERU (511) 225 0202
(511) 225 0402
(511) 225 7234 [email protected]
Copy to:
[email protected]
If you wish more information on the case please see the following websites:
www.cooperaccion.org.pe
www.redmuqui.org.pe
www.minesandcommunities.org
