Press Release (Embassy Of Peru)

Due to the deplorable events happened in the region of Bagua, Amazonas, Peru; the Embassy of Peru would like to clarify the information brought by the international press:

1. – On June 5, settlers of Bagua, Amazonas, Peru, headed by their leaders took a series of actions against measures adopted by the Peruvian Government for the petroleum operation in the zone. These actions included the taking and attacks to gas and petroleum stations, kidnapping of police members and people, as well as blockades to access roads to the main cities of the Peruvian Amazonia which affected the normal activities of these cities when restricting itself the product supplying and energy, as well as the free transit of vehicles and people.

2. - Regarding this situation and due to the refusal of the local leaders to continue with the dialog and to recognize the commitments already signed with the Government to take care of the demands of the settlers of Bagua; the Government adopted measures to restore the order and to defend democracy, using constitutionally legitimate means within the frame of the respect of the rights of the citizens.

3. – As result of the violence generated by the settlers, 22 members of the national police were killed and 9 civilians. Also, 155 people were wounded. In the case of the police, these were assassinated by the crowd at moments when the reestablishment of the order in the region was being negotiated.

4. - These actions of violence had the clear political objective to destabilize the country, to generate the mistrust and to seed the terror in order to threaten the effective democracy in a right state. They have manipulated the expectations of the native communities.

5. - In this sense, the Embassy of Peru rejects the way some press and people have tried to describe these events as “massacre”, “brutal repression” and “genocide”, since it has been indicated previously the need of the Peruvian Government to respond for restoring the public order, to defend the rule of law and the democracy in our country.

6. - The public order has been restored in the zone, normal activities have been resumed and the investigation to identify the people responsible of these events has started.

7. - Peru reiterates its commitment with the dialog as a mechanism for the peaceful solution of the conflict, as well as with the defence of the democratic order, the rule of law and the preservation of the rights of all the Peruvian citizens.

Wellington, 10 June 2009

ENDS

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