Lima, April 27, 2009 (Servindi)—The president of the National Agrarian Confederation of Peru (CNA), Antolín Huascar, has announced that campesinos will be supporting indigenous cmmunities in their indefinite non-violent paralyzation of the Amazon region.
Huáscar said that the motive for the protest was centered on a request for a referendum on the Water Resources Law as well as the repeal of legislative decrees that according to indigenous leaders, experts and diverse organizations, puts the Amazon at risk.
Mario Palacios, the head of the National Confederation of Communities Affected by Mining (CONACAMI), welcomed the decision of indigenous organizations to continue their protest.
The director of the Amazonian Center of Anthropology and Practical Application (CAAAP), Ada Cheucas, questioned the integrity of the nation’s executive branch in its respect for the rights of indigenous peoples.
“If the government has agreed to sit down and talk with indigenous communities, it is also signing new oil exploration and drilling contracts,” she warned.
