Moquegua protests leave 68 wounded – Peru police officers taken hostage

Living in Peru

29 octobre 2008

Israel J. Ruiz

In an ongoing dispute over how to divide taxes paid by mining companies in two of Peru’s southern regions, protestors resorted to violent riots once again and began taking police officers hostage.

Just four months after protestors in the region of Moquegua took over 60 police officers hostage, more riots have broken out as citizens claim rights to mining taxes paid by companies in the region.

Montalvo Bridge was once again the scene of a violent battle between protestors and police, this time leaving 36 civilians wounded – three of which were shot – and 32 police officers injured.

The incidents occurred on Tuesday evening as protestors began an indefinite strike over the redistribution of mining taxes, an issue that has been taken out of the hands of Garcia’s cabinet and passed to congress.

In an effort to free protestors that have already been detained, rioting citizens took three police officers hostage, affirming they would be released after detainees had been freed.

Protestors are demanding the modification of mining tax laws, which currently grant the region of Tacna 80 percent of taxes and Moquegua 20 percent.

It has been proposed that regions receive money from mining companies based on how much mineral wealth a mine produces and not on how much dirt a mine moves

Peru mob torches police station as protests spread

The Associated Press

Published: October 30, 2008

LIMA, Peru: Angry villagers in Peru’s northern jungle have torched a police station a day after 71 people were hurt in a clash between police and protesters in the south.

RPP radio says a 1,000-strong mob set fire to the station and took 25 officers captive in San Martin province. They reportedly were angered when police threw tear gas near a school and several children were affected.

Mounting unrest has spread to five provinces as demonstrators press a variety of demands with local authorities or the central government.

On Tuesday, police and protesters clashed violently at a blockaded bridge in the province of Moquegua. Authorities raised the toll of the injured to 71 on Wednesday and protesters still held the bridge after routing police.

Peru protests: García’s economic policies provoke riots across the country

By Bilhá Calderón

Perú Oct 29th- Thousands of people across five provinces in Peru protested today against Alan Garcia’s government. The Peruvian president replaced his cabinet earlier this month following allegations of corruption aiming to raise his approval rating, which has been around 20 per cent. However the critique remains.

Demonstrators reportedly blocked the Montalvo bridge on Wednesday during a protest demanding fair taxes in Moquegua. Later on protesters set fire to a police station and threatened politicians in San Martin. People in Tacna and Moquegua held demonstrations to demand a share of the money the government is taking in taxation from local mines.

In the Cuzco province, demonstrators sought to block a mining company from using water from an electricity dam while in Cajamarca protesters marched to demand the construction of a new road.

Dozens of people have been injured in clashes with riot police that used tear gas during the unrest that began earlier this week.

Around 40 per cent of Peruvians live in poverty and have seen little relief despite seven years of economic growth. Critics say this is due to Garcia’s deficient policies concerning wealth distribution, saying he has not done enough during the two years he has been in office to fairly distribute the earnings from mining exports.

Yehude Simon, was named vice president in a move partly aimed at countering concerns that social programmes for the poor would not be a priority for the current government.

Simon, who was jailed in the 1990’s for eight years over ties to the Tupac Amaru armed communist group, said he would not tolerate violent demonstrations, and would only negotiate once the public roads were unblocked.

“If they want to talk, they can come talk. We are not closing any democratic space” he said.

The Vice President told protesters in Moquegua that they would have to cede control of the captured bridge before Congress’ vote on a bill to devote more mining royalties to local authorities.

Antero Flores, Peru’s Defence Minister, warned the government would not be forced into making concessions.”I think discipline must be imposed. Dialogue is important but not when a gun is aimed at your head,” Flores said.

Protesters take police hostage in Peru mining row

Tue Oct 28, 2008

By Diego Ore

LIMA, Oct 28 (Reuters) – Thousands of protesters in Peru’s Moquegua province took three police officers hostage and blocked a bridge on the Pan-American highway on Tuesday to demand that Congress give their province a bigger share of mining taxes.

The protesters snarled traffic along the main road to the neighboring province of Tacna, and to Chile.

Moquegua and Tacna provinces are locked in a dispute over how to share mining taxes, paid mostly by Southern Copper Corp (PCU.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), a unit of Grupo Mexico (GMEXICOB.MX: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and one of the world’s largest mining companies.

Four policemen were wounded, and three of them were taken hostage, said Emilio Contreras, a police colonel. Community leaders said at least 10 people were injured when police fired tear gas into the crowd.

Southern Copper, which operates the Cuajone mine and Ilo smelter in Moquegua and the Toquepala mine in Tacna, said its operations were not affected.

Tensions have simmered since June, when protesters in Moquegua took 60 police officers hostage to urge Congress to pass a bill overhauling how taxes are shared among provinces.

President Alan Garcia has supported the bill, but he lacks sway in Congress to pass it. The bill would assess taxes based on how much mineral wealth a mine produces, and scrap the current system, which levies taxes based on how much dirt a mine moves.

This year, Moquegua expects to receive 20 percent of taxes paid by Southern that are distributed to provinces, while 80 percent will go to Tacna. Politicians in both provinces say they need the revenue to pay for basic services.

Despite seven years of fast economic growth, some 40 percent of Peruvians live in poverty and critics say Garcia is facing protests because a boom in mining exports has yet to trickle down to the poor.

This month he named a prominent leftist, Yehude Simon, as his prime minister in the hopes of averting more protests, which have been held in at least three other provinces this week as Peruvians demand better access to water, taxes and infrastructure. (With additional reporting by Miguel Zegarra; Writing by Dana Ford, editing by Philip Barbara)

~ par Alain Bertho sur 30 octobre 2008.

Publié dans émeutes