Daily News Channel
Peru’s Congress voted Wednesday to suspend indefinitely a controversial law that has created tension between President Alan Garcia’s government and indigenous communities in the Amazon, the state-run Andina news agency reported. The vote to suspend the Forestry and Wildlife Law and repeal another related law came days after clashes between indigenous citizens and national police left more than 30 dead and 50 wounded in northwest Peru.
The government of Peru on Friday declared a state of emergency in a remote northern area after a clash between police and indigenous people protesting what they say is the exploitation of their native lands left a number of people dead. Police and indigenous protesters said separately that at least eight police and 22 protesters died. The clash took place at dawn outside the northern province of Bagua in the Department of Amazonas as police attempted to break up a roadblock on the 59th day of protests.