Peru Declares State of Emergency on Farm Protests
Feb. 19
(Bloomberg) -- Peru's government declared a state of emergency after a farmers'
protest left at least four dead and more than 700 under arrest.
Farmers
called the nationwide protest to push for state subsidies as part of a free-trade agreement with the U.S., for
lower prices for fertilizers and for a halt to farm seizures by banks. Peru, the
world's largest exporter of organic coffee, asparagus and paprika, boosted
agricultural exports to the U.S. and China by 10 percent to $2 billion last
year.
``The
agreements we've reached don't establish amounts or deadlines,'' said Enrique
Malaga, president of the National Irrigation Board, which is organizing the
protest. ``The government has lost all credibility.''
Protesters in the southern Andes blocked the railway line to the Inca
citadel of Macchu Pichu, Peru's biggest tourist attraction, yesterday, forcing
the suspension of the service, Orient Express Hotels Inc. unit Peru Rail said in
an e-mailed statement.
Farmers strike turns violent in Peru; four dead
Posted : Wed, 20 Feb 2008 04:54:00 GMT
Lima - The second
day of nationwide protests by farmers in Peru spiralled into violence with two
protestors shot by police and another falling to his death trying to elude tear
gas shells. Transport was paralyzed in the departments of Ayacucho, Arequipa,
Cusco and several other parts of the country because of the strike that began
Monday, when police said one farmer was shot by an angry motorist.
The unions called the strike to pressure the government . . . .
(on) measures to alleviate the impact of a new trade
agreement with the United States.
Three killed in farmers, cops clash in
Peru
20 Feb 2008, 0752 hrs IST,AP
LIMA: Clashes
between police and farmers led to the death of at least three protesters on
Tuesday, as a strike against free
trade and farm policies seethed for a second day, officials
said.
Two men
died from gunshot wounds after police fired into a crowd of protesters in the
Andean state of Ayacucho, opposition congresswoman Juana Huancahuari, former
head of the Ayacucho Agrarian Federation, said.
Farmers
went on strike across Peru on Monday to protest a
free trade agreement with the US, demanding that their
government invest in irrigation and bail out farmers' debts with private banks.
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