Islamic Relief Responds to Darfur Crisis
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Peru peasants agree to end strikes, protests
26 May 2004 16:22:28 GMT
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LIMA, Peru, May 26 (Reuters) - Peasants in southern Peru who lynched a mayor last month have agreed to suspend their protests and strikes after a reaching deal with the government, the Interior Ministry said on Wednesday. After almost two months of unrest in the Andean border town of Ilave near Lake Titicaca, the government agreed to withdraw security forces from the town and try to solve community grievances. In exchange, community leaders agreed to end their demonstrations from midday on Wednesday, Deputy Interior Minister Richard Diaz said. "They have agreed to unblock roads, open the international road bridge between Bolivia and Peru and end the protests," Diaz, who is in the border area, told Reuters. "We are working on a plan which will run until December to resolve problems in the town. We have agreed the immediate withdrawal of troops and the gradual withdrawal of police," he added. The government had considered declaring a state of emergency in Ilave, 825 miles (1,330 km) south of Lima, to keep order. But plans to increase troop presence in Ilave to 1,000 soldiers in the next few days have been canceled, Diaz said. The long period of unrest has left Ilave without basic services such as drinking water and a working sewage system, while many children have been unable to attend school. Residents say they want a return to normality and have dropped their demands for the release of Ilave's jailed deputy mayor, who is accused of organizing the killing of Mayor Cirilo Robles by a mob on April 26. Thousands of Aymaras Indians from Ilave and outlying towns led three weeks of protests in April to demand Robles' resignation, accusing him of embezzling public funds. The protests culminated in a riot in which Robles was beaten to death. Violent protests continued into May as many Aymaras opposed the new mayor who replaced Robles and called for deputy's release. The national electoral body JNE will work to organize new municipal elections in October, Diaz said. The government says drug traffickers were also behind the unrest, stirring up protests to smuggle drugs and contraband through the border more easily. Ilave is a key transit point for contraband worth millions of dollars every year.
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