http://www.lapress.org/articles.asp?art=6463
I wish I could be shocked by the information contained in this article. I really wished that I could be surprised and appalled by it. But I simply can't.
It is always so easy for governments to pretend that they respect their Indigenous populations...until they suddenly dare to have a voice. Until they begin claiming what should be theirs. It is then that we see what little value human lives have when compared to resources and money. It is all well and good for the Peruvian government to have passed a law saying that Indigenous groups should be consulted before projects such as mining go ahead, but their opinion is not "binding under the legislation." I have two problems with this. First, if the government can simply ignore what the Indigenous people are saying and go ahead with the project anyway, what is the point? Second, shouldn't it be self evident that they be consulted? I mean, before drilling and extracting minerals from someone's backyard, you would probably ask for permission first, right? These are their lands, why should it be any different?
A law is a good starting point. A law in which Indigenous people actually weild power and have a strong voice would be even better.
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