Peru celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square with a bloody massacre of its own! So far dozens of Indigenous and paramilitary forces have been killed. What the hell, right? Better bloggers have been giving the blow by blow over the weekend. We've just got a half-assed Monday morning roundup:
- Indigenous leaders are upset because the government forced through a series of oil, mining and logging deals turning over large swaths of the Amazon to multinational companies without ever consulting the tribes who actually live on the land.
- After weeks of peaceful protest, dipshit President Alan Garcia decided to respond "with serenity and firmness," which basically meant sending in 400 paramilitaries forces to fire on people from helicopters.
- Protesters took some of the paramilitaries hostage during the melee. Rather than negotiate, the government decided to bust them out, Steve McQueen style, except they bungled the operation, killing nine cops.
- President Alan Garcia has charmingly referred to the Indians as "barbarians," and argues that technically they are "not first class citizens."
- DON'T WORRY b/c the massacre is "unlikely to sour investors in the medium-term or threaten his presidency." Whew!
- The Wall Street Journal says Garcia can't concede to any indigenous demands because Peru's "free" trade agreement with the U.S. won't allow it.
- Average Peruvians (and the UN) have been shocked by the massacre, so the Government has started a hilarious media campaign to blame...Hugo Chavez! Christ nobody would buy that, right?
- Haha: actual headline from Today's Washington Times, "Suspicions Link Chavez to Peru Revolt"
- Here are lots of bloody pictures of the whole awfulness, in case you're into that sort of thing.
Comments (8)
Pizango is being charged with sedition and went to the Nicaraguan embassy seeking asylum.
Now Garcia can blame Chavez for the demonstration AND for persecuting the opposition.
Posted by Elizabeth Ferrari
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June 9, 2009 4:12 AM
Posted on June 9, 2009 04:12
My sources say President Correa of Ecuador is very upset about this situation.
Yeah, true story.
He says Garcia is stealing his best lines.
https://nacla.org/node/5848
Posted by Bunk
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June 8, 2009 9:51 PM
Posted on June 8, 2009 21:51
This piece of shit needs to resign. RESIGN or be REMOVED Garcia! He is now a bona fide criminal and the US needs to take a public stand since this is all supposedly for the FTA.
And how about the WSJ's human rights abuser apologists:
"Members of the García government are blaming the protest on outside agitators, including Peruvian leftist leader Ollanta Humala, who has ties to Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez."
Um, how is Humala an "outside agitator" if he's Peruvian?
The WSJ - where not even massacres are a worthy reason to stop the propaganda against Chavez. Shameless assholes.
Posted by Revolter
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June 8, 2009 6:21 PM
Posted on June 8, 2009 18:21
What better way to commemorate the 20th anniversary of Tiananmen than to kill indigenous "Maoists" for capitalism? O, the ironies, they burn!
Posted by QueenBina
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June 8, 2009 3:13 PM
Posted on June 8, 2009 15:13
Amy had a well done segment today:
http://www.democracynow.org/2009/6/8/peruvian_police_accused_of_massacring_indigenous
She noted that at first, only police deaths were being reported.
Posted by Elizabeth Ferrari
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June 8, 2009 2:42 PM
Posted on June 8, 2009 14:42
okay, 200 yrs ago.
My bad.
Posted by Bosque
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June 8, 2009 1:24 PM
Posted on June 8, 2009 13:24
¡¡¡ Viva las indeginas !!! Fight them like hell my cousins.
Foreigners destroyed LA for metallic gold and now want to destroy what is left for liquid gold. Greedy azzed locusts.
Time to remind Garcia that Colonial times ended 500 yrs ago.
Posted by Bosque
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June 8, 2009 1:22 PM
Posted on June 8, 2009 13:22
Oh man did we specifically write anti-environment and human rights requirements into that stupid trade deal?
Posted by Big Al
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June 8, 2009 12:43 PM
Posted on June 8, 2009 12:43