‘What kind of reconciliation are you taking about, Mr Garcia?’

Mario Huamán Rivera *

President Garcia mentioned in his most recent message, the need for reconciliation to overcome these difficult moments, a consequence of his unhappy decision to repress the Amazon peoples in Bagua, that caused the tragic deaths of indigenous peoples and police. This discourse is a new demonstration that a double discourse continues functioning in the APRA regime.

While Garcia speaks of reconciliation, Alberto Pizango remains in exile in Nicaragua and seven parliamentarians from the National Party remain suspended for demanding to the end that [decrees 1090 and 1064] be repealed. To this is added the campaign to deiscredit diverse organisations such as the General Confederation of Peruvian Workers (CGPT), the closure of Radio La Voz de Bagua, the attempt to liquidate NGO’s and cut democratic liberties.

On the other side, Prime Minister Yehude Simon and Interior Minister Mercedes Cabanillas mock the victims of the tragedy and continue denying their responsibility.

Therefore we can’t speak of reconciliation, when actions like those described persist. Garcia, his ministers and the APRA parliamentary bench are only trying to “cool the atmosphere” to once again repress the social sectors and impose the neoliberal framework.

Nothing has changed for the government, which only seeks to gain time to continue deteriorating democracy in benefit of the rich as always. The supposed denunciations made about links between social sectors and unions with violent sectors corroborate and are a signal that a new repression against the opposition is being prepared, once the new ‘puppets’ installed by Simon entertain and silence the country.

However, bad luck for Garcia, because the country changed on June 5 [the day of the Bagua Massacre]. Dispersion is converting into articulation and unity in action of the various social movements, which despite cultural differences aim to construct a country with equality and development

For these reasons, on July 8 we will hold a national day of struggle to demand the repeal of the rest of the legislative decrees that damage the interests of the country, in solidarity with the Andean and Amazonian peoples, the union is conflict (such as Doe Run), for the solution of the regional problems and to reject the campaign to discredit the people and their organizations.

* Mario Huamán Rivera is the secretary general of the CGPT

Translated by Kiraz Janicke, originally published in La Primera 26 June 2009