Saturday 18 July 2009

Peru: Residents of Majaz Living in Fear

According to testimonies compiled by the Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos (CNDDHH), indigenous citizens living in the village of Segunda y Cajas are still experiencing reprisals for their denunciations of torture at the mining site of Majaz.

One villager, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that they had to use "hidden paths" for fear of being attacked.

A woman named María Ozeta was attacked with a machete in early June by a person linked to a supposed NGO known as "Asociación Integrando", which, according to the CNDDHH, dedicates itself to "intimidating the population and imposing the activities of the Majaz mining company".

In the past month, representatives of the CNDDHH itself, another NGO, and three of the victims of the original torture have all experienced threats.

This may all sound rather conspiracy-theoryish, but the Coordinadora is well-respected and not given to hyperbole; the news is deeply concerning and indicative of corruption and lack of protection from the law in the area. There was a big scandal when the images of torture came out, but that has now passed. The fact is, however, that the victims have to carry on living in the area where their attackers have gone unpunished. Let's not forget Majaz.

Continua la violencia en Majaz (CNDDHH)
- includes images of injured people, scans of a medical certificate and police report

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