Americas News
Small success for Peru's Indios: Controversial law suspended
Jun 11, 2009, 8:37 GMT
Lima - After more than two months of escalating demonstrations that left 45 people dead last week, Peru's Indios Friday claimed their first success.
Parliament in the capital Lima suspended indefinitely the controversial forest and wildlife law that triggered the protests. But efforts by the National Party to totally revoke it failed in the face of resistance from the government of President Alan Garcia's Apra Party, which is allied with right-wing forces on the issue.
The suspension is intended to allow negotiations with the Indios, who charge their indigenous land rights are being sacrificed. Other issues affected by the law are citizen participation and exploitation of raw materials such as oil in the Amazon region.
The Indios fear that their land and cultural substance, anchored in ancient tradition, will be sacrificed to the good of foreign companies.
On Friday, at least 33 demonstrators and police officers were killedin clashes provoked when police used force to end a road blockade near the town of Bagua.
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