Peru putting human rights at risk, groups say

[Judi Lynn]

Peru putting human rights at risk, groups say
By Jean Luis Arce and Terry Wade
REUTERS

11:29 a.m. May 5, 2008

LIMA – President Alan Garcia is jeopardizing Peru's human rights gains in his drive to turn the economy into a regional powerhouse through free-market reforms, activists say.
Garcia recently issued a decree that will make it easier to use the military to arrest protesters. He also called a respected human rights activist a traitor for saying the government was using the threat of terrorism to clamp down on protests.

The actions have angered many in a country still haunted by a 1980-2000 civil war that killed nearly 70,000 people, when leftist insurgents and the government were accused of atrocities.
“What we are most worried about is how to respond to the government's excessive use of force, which limits social movements and protests,” said Francisco Soberon, a director of the prominent human rights organization Aprodeh, a target of Garcia's criticism.

At least 13 people have died in protests suppressed by police since Garcia took office in 2006.

Garcia's administration, which is trying to lure billions in foreign investment, frequently labels anybody seen getting in its way as terrorists – lumping together groups as diverse as environmentalists, union leaders and drug traffickers.

More:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20080505-1129-peru-humanrights-.html

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Alan Garcia and his American friend.