Alberto Pizango
Encyclopedia
Alberto Pizango Chota is the current president of AIDESEP
, the premier indigenous rights
organization in Peru
. He is part of the http://elcomercio.pe/peru/341889/noticia-shawis-etnia-que-se-recupera-si-misma|Shawi people. Pizango has been actively resisting the government of Peru
's selling of petroleum
concessions to foreign companies on lands legally titled to indigenous people
.
field being developed in southern Peru by the Argentine company Pluspetrol, and a petroleum pipeline in northern Peru owned by Petroperú
. During the protests, the natives took two police officers hostage. In response, the government declared a state of emergency in the departments of Cusco, Loreto
and Amazonas
, a move that gave it the power to send in the army
to forcibly remove and arrest the protesters. Tensions peaked when Pizango responded to the government's threat to send in troops by stating that "Indigenous people are defending themselves against government aggression."
The standoff ended when Pizango and his AIDESEP organization persuaded Congress
to repeal two land laws aimed at opening up Amazonian tribal areas to petroleum companies, which had originally led to the protests by the indigenous tribes. On Friday, September 6, 2008, Congress repealed the laws created by President Alan García, who had created the laws by special presidential decree. Pizango stated that his victory was "A new dawn for the country's indigenous peoples."
After his planned arrest was announced in Lima
he sought asylum
in Bolivia
without success, and was then granted asylum by Nicaragua
. In May 2010, he was arrested on arrival to Peru's capital city, Lima, after 11 months of political asylum in Nicaragua. Pizango arrived together with AIDESEP’s vice-president Daysi Zapata Fasabi and Q’orianka Kilcher, an actress of indigenous Peruvian descent who played the role of Pocahontas in the film "The New World
". He was arrested immediately.
Asociación Interétnica de Desarrollo de la Selva
The Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest is a Peruvian national indigenous rights organization, presided over by a decentralized National Council based on six organisms found in the North, Center and South of the country...
, the premier indigenous rights
Indigenous rights
Indigenous rights are those rights that exist in recognition of the specific condition of the indigenous peoples. This includes not only the most basic human rights of physical survival and integrity, but also the preservation of their land, language, religion and other elements of cultural...
organization in Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. He is part of the http://elcomercio.pe/peru/341889/noticia-shawis-etnia-que-se-recupera-si-misma|Shawi people. Pizango has been actively resisting the government of Peru
Government of Peru
Peru is a presidential representative democratic republic with a multi-party system. Under the current constitution, the President is the head of state and government; he or she is elected for five years and cannot seek immediate re-election, he or she must stand down for at least one full...
's selling of petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
concessions to foreign companies on lands legally titled to indigenous people
Indigenous peoples in Peru
Indigenous people in Peru comprise a large number of distinct ethnic groups who inhabited the country's present territory prior to its discovery by Europeans around 1500...
.
Biography
In August 2008, Pizango supported protests by indigenous Amazonians in which the tribal groups seized control of two energy installations—a natural gasNatural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
field being developed in southern Peru by the Argentine company Pluspetrol, and a petroleum pipeline in northern Peru owned by Petroperú
Petroperu
Petróleos del Perú S.A. is a Peruvian state-owned petroleum company. Its activities include transport, refinery and commercialization of fuel and other oil derivatives...
. During the protests, the natives took two police officers hostage. In response, the government declared a state of emergency in the departments of Cusco, Loreto
Loreto Region
Loreto is Peru's northernmost region. Covering almost one-third of Peru's territory, Loreto is by far the nation's largest region and also one of the most sparsely populated ones, due to its remote location in the Amazon Rainforest...
and Amazonas
Amazonas Department
Amazonas is a department of Colombia in the south of the country. Its capital is Leticia. Its name comes from the Amazon River that drains much in the department and the rainforest that covers a large part of the department....
, a move that gave it the power to send in the army
Peruvian Army
The Peruvian Army is the branch of the Peruvian Armed Forces tasked with safeguarding the independence, sovereignty and integrity of national territory on land through military force. Additional missions include assistance in safeguarding internal security, conducting disaster relief operations...
to forcibly remove and arrest the protesters. Tensions peaked when Pizango responded to the government's threat to send in troops by stating that "Indigenous people are defending themselves against government aggression."
The standoff ended when Pizango and his AIDESEP organization persuaded Congress
Congress of Peru
The Congress of the Republic of Peru or the National Congress of Peru is the unicameral body that assumes legislative power in Peru.Congress consists of 130 members of congress , who are elected for five year periods in office on a proportional representation basis...
to repeal two land laws aimed at opening up Amazonian tribal areas to petroleum companies, which had originally led to the protests by the indigenous tribes. On Friday, September 6, 2008, Congress repealed the laws created by President Alan García, who had created the laws by special presidential decree. Pizango stated that his victory was "A new dawn for the country's indigenous peoples."
After his planned arrest was announced in Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
he sought asylum
Right of asylum
Right of asylum is an ancient juridical notion, under which a person persecuted for political opinions or religious beliefs in his or her own country may be protected by another sovereign authority, a foreign country, or church sanctuaries...
in Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
without success, and was then granted asylum by Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
. In May 2010, he was arrested on arrival to Peru's capital city, Lima, after 11 months of political asylum in Nicaragua. Pizango arrived together with AIDESEP’s vice-president Daysi Zapata Fasabi and Q’orianka Kilcher, an actress of indigenous Peruvian descent who played the role of Pocahontas in the film "The New World
The New World
The New World is a 2005 drama/romance film written and directed by Terrence Malick, a historical adventure depicting the founding of the Jamestown, Virginia settlement and inspired by the historical figures Captain John Smith and Pocahontas...
". He was arrested immediately.
External links
- AIDESEP - Official website