As widely reported by international media, former Peru president Alan García died earlier today after shooting himself at home prior to his arrest for allegedly taking bribes from Brazilian company Odebrecht during his presidency.
Amazon Watch Advocacy Director Andrew Miller made the following statement in response:
“The suicide of Alan Garcia is a tragedy and our condolences go out to his family.
“However, it appears he killed himself to avoid further scrutiny from Peru’s justice system. Though he was actively facing charges in the Odebrecht case, Garcia was also accused by Peru’s indigenous movement of ordering police repression resulting in 33 deaths during the tragic June 5, 2009 Baguazo confrontation. The legacy of Alan Garcia’s racism – publicly expressed through his infamous opinion piece titled “The syndrome of the orchard dog” – will live on in the lives of indigenous peoples who continue to be criminalized by ongoing charges related to the Baguazo.
“Alan Garcia’s passing means that justice will be denied to indigenous peoples in the Baguazo case. May other high level political figures from that era – Mercedes Cabanillas, Mercedes Araoz, and Yehude Simon among them – be ultimately brought to justice for their roles.”
