Hands Off Venezuela Canada in solidarity with the Peruvian indigenous struggle

Garcia government ordered a violent attack against the indigenous people of the Amazon who had been blockading the Fernando Belaúnde Terry highway near the northern city of Bagua. This blockade was organized in opposition to the recent opening up of the Peruvian Amazon forest for the exploitation of energy, mineral resources, and logging. Over the weekend, an estimated 30 to 50 indigenous activists were killed and hundreds injured when the Peruvian police forces launched an air and ground assault using live ammunition. On the other side, more than 20 police died in the clashes according to the official government report. Across Canada, demonstrations were organized to condemn the massacre of these indigenous protesters.

The recent decree for the opening up of the Amazon forest for exploitation, without the consultation of the indigenous people living there, is an integral part of the Free Trade Agreement signed with Washington. The indigenous people of the Amazon have been fighting relentlessly against these decrees for more than a year. There is no doubt that Alan Garcia, under pressure from the US government and multinational corporations who wish to exploit the forest, sought to end the resistance forcefully, and this he did on June 5^th by ordering the massacre.

Throughout Peru and across the world, the people responded to this brutal massacre by staging solidarity demonstrations. In Canada, demonstrations were organized in Montreal, Toronto, and Vancouver. The Hands Off Venezuela campaign supported these rallies. In Montreal, the Hands Off Venezuela/Bolivarian Society of Quebec helped organize a rally on Friday, June 12^th, with fellow solidarity organizations, Action Creative and the Mohawk Traditional Council of Kahnawake. In front of the Peruvian consulate, more than 50 people were present to show their solidarity with the struggle of Amazonian indigenous people and condemn Alan Garcia and his government for their brutal massacre. These solidarity rallies across the world have united the workers, peasants, students, and indigenous people around a common cause.

As capitalism enters into its deepest crisis, the assault against indigenous people, workers, peasants, and students is intensifying. Capitalism is entering into a blind alley and in panic it is destroying everything in its sights to save itself. Millions have lost their jobs and houses. The people and the earth are being exploited at a faster rate and in an increasingly brutal fashion in order to maintain the falling rate of profit of the capitalists. This recent massacre of the Peruvian indigenous people is just one example of this. The capitalists are taking full offensive measures now to save their profit. The people need to take offensive measures as well: going beyond capitalism and toward socialism. The indigenous workers and peasants of Bolivia have shown the way forward by fighting for socialism, the only social system that can protect the earth and respect the rights, traditions, and cultures of the native people of America.

June 18, 2009

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