The indigenous communities of Latin America have shown once again that they cannot be ignored. Violence has marred the otherwise laudable movement by Peruvian Indians to resist President Alan Garcia’s decision to open large areas of the Amazon region to logging, dam building, and oil drilling. (Of course, just who was responsible for the violence–the protesting Indians, the military, or a combination of both–remains shrouded in mystery.) But make no mistake: these Indians are a political force. Yesterday, Peru’s Congress voted to overturn Mr. Garcia’s decrees authorizing industrial activity in the region. In return, at least some indigenous leaders said they would call off demonstrations and road blockades.
This victory builds on the recent successes won by indigenous communities in Bolivia (electing Evo Morales and achieving a new constitution); the move by the Miskito people to declare independence from Nicaragua; and the growing political strength of the Indian communities in Ecuador.
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Hat tip: The New York Times
