Peruvian national protests July 2008

Unrest continues in Peru even after the government agreed two repeal two contested Free Trade laws and the indigenous mobilization in the Amazon came to a temporary halt.

On July 1, police attacked an ongoing road blockade being held by campesinos protesting mining concessions near their communities. In the resulting violence, a campesino was killed and the police commissioner received a head wound. Protesters swarmed the hospital to prevent the police commissioner from leaving for treatment at a specialized facility for 10 hours, until the government agreed to negotiate on their demands.

In response to the June 5 massacre of indigenous protesters in Bagua, the nation’s largest labor union called a general strike for July 7-9. The protesters are demanding the resignation of the cabinet, the repeal of all presidential Free Trade decrees and an independent investigation into the Bagua Massacre. The government has declared the strike illegal, authorized the military to take action against protests, and offered $7 to anyone who shows up for work.