Peru: 5 police killed by Amazon Indians protesting gas and oil exploration

October 1st, 2009 Ecuador, Indians trade blame for bloody clashQUITO, Ecuador — The government and Amazon Indians traded blame Thursday for a battle in Ecuador's southeastern jungle that authorities said killed at least one Indian and wounded 40 police and nine Indians. The Indians accused President Rafael Correa of "declaring a civil war" against them, while Correa said the Indians are putting the country at risk.

September 30th, 2009 29 police, 9 Indians wounded in Ecuador protestLIMA, Peru — Police clashed with Amazon Indians protesting proposed water, oil and mining laws Wednesday, leaving at least 29 police officers and nine Indians wounded, Ecuadorean officials said. Indians said two civilians were killed.

September 30th, 2009 Ecuador: 1 dead, at least 49 wounded in protestQUITO, Ecuador — Police on Wednesday battled Amazon Indians protesting laws they believe would encourage oil drilling and mining on their lands, leaving one Indian dead and 40 police and nine Indians wounded, officials said. Indians said two civilians were killed.

August 22nd, 2009 Peru's Amazon Indians warn of renewed protestsLIMA, Peru — Peruvian Amazon Indian leaders are warning of renewed protests, alleging Friday that the government has not honored promises made in the aftermath of June violence that left at least 23 police and 10 Indians dead. Indian leader Salomon Awananch accused the government of blocking the formation of an independent truth commission to investigate the June violence.

August 7th, 2009 Relatives of police killed in Peru blame officialsLIMA, Peru — Relatives of police officers killed during a government crackdown on Amazon Indian protesters are seeking criminal charges against Peru's former interior minister and three police chiefs, a lawyer said Thursday. Ten civilians and 23 policemen were killed June 5 when a small, heavily armed troop of officers cleared a highway blockade where nearly 5,000 Indians were protesting development on their ancestral lands.

June 19th, 2009 Peru Congress revokes contested Amazon decreesLIMA, Peru — Peru's Congress on Thursday revoked two key decrees that had sparked deadly protests by Amazon Indians opposed to development on their lands, a vote hailed as a victory for indigenous groups. After five hours of debate, lawmakers voted 82-14 to strike down the decrees, which indigenous groups said would speed the sale of their lands for oil and gas projects.

June 17th, 2009 Peru's Cabinet chief to resign once protests easeLIMA, Peru — Peru's Cabinet chief Yehude Simon said Tuesday that he plans to step down after settling a dispute with Amazon Indians that turned bloody earlier this month. Simon has led negotiations with Indians protesting decrees they say make it easier for foreign oil and gas companies to exploit their lands.

June 12th, 2009 Police fire tear gas in Peru protestsLIMA, Peru — Riot police have fired tear gas to keep protesters away from Peru's Congress as thousands march in favor of Amazon Indians who want it to overturn laws they say threaten their lands. Some 4,000 students, labor unions and other native Peruvians from the country's Andean highlands to its jungle lowlands joined the mostly peaceful nationwide protests.

June 7th, 2009 LIMA - The number of dead rose to 45 people Saturday in clashes between police and indigenous people demonstrating for restoration of their land rights in Peru. Nine more police officers were killed by protesters who had taken 38 police hostage, the authorities in Lima said Saturday.

June 6th, 2009 Peru says 9 more police killed in Amazon protestLIMA, Peru — At least nine Peruvian police officers were killed Saturday as soldiers stormed an oil pumping station in the Amazon where Indian protesters were holding police hostage, the country's defense minister said. The deaths brought to 20 the number of police killed — some with spears — since security forces moved early Friday to break up a roadblock by indigenous Peruvians who oppose government moves to exploit oil and gas and other resources on their lands.

June 6th, 2009 Up to 34 reported killed in Amazon land protestLIMA, Peru — Indians protesting oil and gas exploration on their lands battled police in Peru's remote Amazon Friday, with authorities and Indian leaders separately reporting nine police and 25 protester deaths. The violence broke out before dawn as officers broke up a road blockade by some 5,000 Indians in an area called Curva del Diablo — or "Devil's Curve" — in the northern province of Utcubamba.

June 6th, 2009 Up to 36 reported killed in Amazon land protestLIMA, Peru — Indians protesting government moves to develop oil, gas and other resources on their lands battled police in Peru's Amazon on Friday, with authorities and Indian leaders separately reporting 11 police and 25 protesters deaths. Accounts of the clashes and death tolls varied widely, as no independent journalists appeared to be present on the remote jungle highway in the northern province of Utcubamba where the fighting took place.

June 6th, 2009 Peru: 9 more police killed in Amazon protestLIMA, Peru — Peru's defense minister says nine more police officers have been killed as security forces battle Indians in the Amazon who are protesting oil and gas exploration on their remote lands. That brings to 20 the number of police deaths.

June 5th, 2009 At least 30 reported killed in Amazon land protestLIMA, Peru — Indians protesting oil and gas exploration on their lands battled police in Peru's remote Amazon Friday, with authorities and Indian leaders reporting at least 30 deaths. The violence broke out before dawn as officers tried to end a road blockade by some 5,000 Indians in an area called Curva del Diablo — or "Devil's Curve" — in the northern province of Utcubamba.

May 1st, 2009 Peru Indians block jungle airport in land protestLIMA, Peru — Ashaninka and Yines Indians are blocking an airport in the central Peruvian jungle town of Atalaya as well as two stations on a northern oil pipeline to protest laws that they say threaten their ancestral land and resources. Edson Rosales, spokesman for an Indian rights group in the Amazon, says 15,000 Indians have been protesting since April 9 and plan to start taking over oil and gas rigs.