AIDESEP President responds to La Prima assertions

"I call it violent, maximalist, to clean their hands," said Alberto Pizango, president of AIDESEP AIDESEP, August 11, 2009. The president of AIDESEP, Alberto Pizango Chota, responded loud and clear to the newspaper La Primera. "I will make a great sacrifice in giving their answers to questions in all honesty I do not want this to be used for political purposes, or misrepresentation, I just want to be in the legitimate respect for human rights," he said.

AIDESEP denies the APCI

AIDESEP denieth the APCI AIDESEP, August 10, 2009. The Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Amazon - AIDESEP rejected - through the administering institution, Augostina Mayán - information disseminated by the Peruvian International Cooperation Agency (APCI), which accounts for seven projects by the irregularly organization, professional and guaranteed 100% transparency of all projects. Officials of the APCI He clarified that the objections to the body that make you Indian, byattributing to "grave breaches" are not for embezzlement or illegal efforts. "Grave breaches are obvious, putting a letter or a word in the name of a project and that the APCI is called the 'false information', "she said. According to information from the state agency, the project "Enhancing the Independence and Security Law of the Territories of Indigenous Peoples of the Río Marañón", funded by Alternativa Solidaria-Plenty, AIDESEP provided false information. "There are no comments to the accounting or documentation.Only by watching us put the name 'Solidarity Spain', and this motivates the initiation of an administrative process, "he said. Another project is observed by APCI is called "Meeting of Education and Research Protocol Submission of National and Regional Organizations", held in conjunction with the Ministry of Health (MOH). In this case, Mayán explained, according to the documents are false APCI gave the portfolio. The APCI is an organization of state and is inconsistent because the documents that underpin the State's own observation is, "he said. Regarding the "Amazonian Indigenous Women: Building your own space. Second Phase ", was made clear that cooperation with the German and that although, according to the APCI, also has very serious infringements, the comments serve a political purpose and have no technical precision. "The reports, audited in due course, were closed." Therefore considered that the professionals who hires the agency to perform its audits do not have enough skills to perform an audit to a nongovernmental organization. The spokeswoman AIDESEP lamented the "dirty" because of the APCI approached the institution with the original purpose of conducting an oversight, but actually performed an audit that concluded in these alleged irregularities.

Indigenous Peruvians risk Jail for Amazon Protests

Indigenous Peruvians faced jail for protests in the Amazon

AIDESEP, 05 August 2009. The AP news agency described the situation of the leader Santiago Manuin: prostrate in a hospital bed with his companions, five police officers with AK-47 seated at the door. Besides the view Daysi picked Zapata, Vice President of AIDESEP, Amnesty International and the representative of the UN, James Anaya.

A plastic bag drains the stomach of Manuin Santiago, leader of the ethnic Awajun who is lucky to be alive. On June 5 Santiago was shot 4 times when police opened fire during a protest in the Amazon.

Manuin is the most prominent of the 48 protesters injured in June. Five policemen with AK-47s seated outside her room.

The UN special envoy, James Anaya, said that negotiations in good faith to resolve the dispute, in which 350,000 Indians, will be difficult if the government treats them like criminals. Manuin is more direct: "Justice for the Indian does not exist. The police are more valued than us, and the government does not want to acknowledge their mistake," said the leader of 53 years.

Indigenous groups in the Amazon have blocked roads in the jungle and rivers intermittently since August 2008. They want 11 decrees introduced by President Alan García when he signed a free trade agreement with United States to be revoked because they fear a massive land and natural resources grab by private companies.

Critics say the government has erred in not considering that the police may have overstepped the use of force. At least 10 civilians and 23 policemen were killed during the protest, according to the representative office of the Peruvian citizens.

"It is striking that while there are investigations and proceedings against accused persons charged with the killing of policemen, so far there have been no arrests or investigations into the abuses that led to the deaths of demonstrators in the indigenous communities or residents of Bagua "said Susan Lee, Program Director of Amnesty International in the Americas. He added that the group gathered testimony on police abuse.

Daysi Zapata, Vice President of AIDESEP, the indigenous federation that organized the protests, said that 120 Indians facing criminal charges, including charges of murder.

Manuin is expected to leave the hospital after an operation this week and could be sentenced to 35 years in prison for acts of June 5. The leader claims to negotiate but he was shot trying.