Contact: Leandra Requena 917- 279-8862 e-mail: leandrarequena@yahoo.com

Tatiana Bejar 917-597-6941

Who: Peruvians residents in NYC, activists and representatives of Indigenous groups, Union leaders,Organizations,etc.

Where: Rally will be held at the Peruvian Consulate, 341 East 49th Street, NYC between 2nd and 3rd Avenue.

Time: 12 Noon-1:30 pm Rally in support of y the National Strike of Peru and to demand the return of Indigenous leader Alberto Pizango. 5:30pm – 6:30pm Vigil for the victims of the Bagua Massacre

July 5th marked one month since the criminal events in Bagua in which the Peruvian government massacred and caused the disappearance of an unknown number of indigenous activists and civilians. The government - and especially President Alan Garcia, – needs to be held responsible for its reprehensible actions. A month later, Garcia continues his oppressive policies against our brothers in the Amazon and in the Andes. President Garcia has called them dogs and citizens of second class, denying their human rights. Indigenous leaders like Alberto Pizango, exiled in Nicaragua, and the worldwide recognized Aguaruna leader Santiago Manuin, wounded with 8 bullets, are still in persecution. This needs to stop. Furthermore, Alan Garcia has shown no respect for workers and civil society. His government has driven the country into a terrible economic situation in which workers can hardly survive while a small elite and corporations enjoy the so called “growing economy”. Every opposition has been harshly repressed, including through legislatives decrees that authorize police to shoot and kill people in demonstrations. President Garcia’s regime is becoming more isolated due to the violence, repression, corruption, and blatant disregard for human rights that characterize his government. As part of the struggle of the Peruvian people, the union federations as well as other local and national organizations have called for a strike this July 7th in Peru. The demands are structural change of the economy, an end to the repression, and measures to end the outrageous cases of corruption within the government.