In late April 2009, the government of Peru carried out brutal repression against the peoples of the Peruvian forest that had risen up against the decrees authorizing oil extraction on their ancestral lands within the framework of the USA-Peru Free Trade Agreement.
What is now known as the “Bagua massacre” took the lives of about 50 people; the consequences of this massacre for the peoples of the region continue to be felt to this day. For example, Alberto Pizango, indigenous leader from the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Forest (AIDESEP), has faced persistent legal harassment. He is currently in exile in Nicaragua and has been prohibited from returning to his own country; he is also prohibited from travelling elsewhere due to an Interpol order for his arrest.
The 16th Congress of the Fourth International declares its total support to the right of indigenous peoples over their lands and demands an immediate end to the political accusations and legal procedures against Alberto Pizango as well as the restoration of his right to freely return to his country.
27th February 2010