Peru’s War on the Indigenous

In clashes between native groups armed with spears and development interests packing guns, Peru has seen at least 50 people die and hundreds go missing after President Alan Garcia initiated a campaign to open the rain forest to foreign investors.

Indigenous groups have been waging a protest campaign since April against government plans to open up Amazonian communal jungle lands for oil exploration, logging, mining and large-scale farming.

BBC:

Human rights lawyers have accused Peru’s government of a cover-up, after clashes between police and indigenous protesters killed at least 50 people.

The lawyers say hundreds more may be missing, amid rumours that the police have hidden bodies. But they say rights groups cannot get in to investigate.

The government denies the claims and says police were the victims.

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