2009 Peruvian political crisis

2009 Peruvian clashes

Bagua Province on map of Amazonas Region.
DateJune 2009
Location
Bagua Province (Peruvian Amazon)
Result Offending decrees repealed.
Belligerents

Peru Government of Peru

AIDESEP
Commanders and leaders
Peru Alan García
Peru Yehude Simon
Peru Mercedes Cabanillas		 Peru Alberto Pizango
Casualties and losses
23 policemen dead
1 policeman missing		 10 dead
155 wounded
72 captured
This article is part of a series about
Alan García

The 2009 Peruvian political crisis resulted from the ongoing opposition to oil development in the Peruvian Amazon by local Indigenous peoples; they protested Petroperú and confronted the National Police. At the forefront of the movement to resist the development was Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva (AIDESEP), a coalition of indigenous community organizations in the region.[1][2]

Following the government's decision to pass regulations allowing companies access to the Amazon, natives conducted more than a year of declared opposition and advocacy to change this policy and, from 9 April, began a period of protest and civil disobedience. In June 2009, the Garcia government suspended civil liberties, declared a state of emergency, and sent in the military to stop the protests.[1] The military intervention, referred to as the Baguazo,[3] resulted in two days of bloody confrontations,[2] resulting in a total of 23 police deaths, 10 native/civilians deaths and more than 150 native wounded.[4]

This conflict has been described as Peru's worst political violence in years and is the worst crisis of President Alan García's presidency.[5][6] Prime Minister Yehude Simon was forced to resign his post in the aftermath, and Congress repealed the laws that led to the protests.

  1. ^ a b Powless, Ben (9 June 2009). "Peru: Battle lines drawn over the Amazon". rabble.ca. Archived from the original on 12 June 2009. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Inside the Peruvian Amazon", The Real News, 12 June 2009
  3. ^ Written at Lima. "Peru police, army brass convicted for deadly clash with Indians: PERU-INDIANS". EFE News Service. Madrid. EFE. 15 March 2011. ProQuest 856981463.
  4. ^ "DEFENSORÍA DEL PUEBLO DIO A CONOCER RELACIÓN DE ACCIONES HUMANITARIAS REALIZADAS ANTE LOS LAMENTABLES SUCESOS OCURRIDOS EN BAGUA" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 June 2012. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference 9 more police killed in Amazon protests in Peru was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Tension roils Peru after deadly Amazon clashes was invoked but never defined (see the help page).