Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08LIMA845
2008-05-13 21:56:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Lima
Cable title:  

"SUMMIT OF THE PEOPLES" COUNTER-SUMMIT LAUNCHED

Tags:  PGOV REL PINR PE 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXYZ0002
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHPE #0845 1342156
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 132156Z MAY 08
FM AMEMBASSY LIMA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8619
INFO RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION PRIORITY 1981
RUEHBO/AMEMBASSY BOGOTA PRIORITY 5717
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 7857
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES PRIORITY 3363
RUEHCV/AMEMBASSY CARACAS PRIORITY 1150
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ MAY 4865
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO PRIORITY 9517
RUEHQT/AMEMBASSY QUITO PRIORITY 1894
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO PRIORITY 1869
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L LIMA 000845 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/13/2018
TAGS: PGOV REL PINR PE
SUBJECT: "SUMMIT OF THE PEOPLES" COUNTER-SUMMIT LAUNCHED

REF: A. LIMA 480

B. LIMA 745

Classified By: POL/C ALEXIS LUDWIG FOR REASONS 1.4 (B)

C O N F I D E N T I A L LIMA 000845

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/13/2018
TAGS: PGOV REL PINR PE
SUBJECT: "SUMMIT OF THE PEOPLES" COUNTER-SUMMIT LAUNCHED

REF: A. LIMA 480

B. LIMA 745

Classified By: POL/C ALEXIS LUDWIG FOR REASONS 1.4 (B)


1. (C) Summary: Peruvian leftist groups and European NGOs on
May 13th launched a four-day-long Summit of the Peoples as a
counterpoint to the European Union-Latin America and
Caribbean Summit (May 13th-17th). The main event will be a
rally on May 16th attended by Bolivian President Evo Morales
and Peruvian opposition leader Ollanta Humala. The GOP's
main concern remains that radicals intent on embarrassing the
government will infiltrate an otherwise peaceful, democratic
event and seek confrontations with police. Security will be
tight across Lima all week. End Summary.

Leftist Groups and NGOs Launch Counter-Summit
--------------

2. (C) Peruvian leftist groups and European NGOs on May 13th
launched a four-day-long Summit of the Peoples as a
counterpoint to the European Union-Latin America and
Caribbean Summit. This counter-summit, which organizers have
been planning for more than a year (Ref A),will feature a
series of workshops, panel discussions, cultural events, and
a "Permanent Tribunal of the People" that will "pass
judgment" on European and Latin American governments and
multi-national corporations for their violations of human
rights. At the end of the counter-summit, participants will
issue a declaration condemning imperialism, neoliberalism,
and Peruvian President Alan Garcia, according to an internal
planning document. Events will take place at the National
Engineering University, far from the site of the actual
summit.


3. (C) Organizers hope to draw over 20,000 people to a rally
on the evening of May 16th to close the counter-summit,
according to Miguel Angel de la Puente (protect),an Embassy
contact who has participated in several planning meetings.
De la Puente told poloffs that Bolivian President Evo
Morales, a Cuban government representative, and Peruvian
opposition leader and former presidential candidate Ollanta
Humala will address the rally. Ecuador's Ambassador has
publicly denied claims that President Rafael Correa will also
appear, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez's participation
remains unconfirmed. The rally will be held in a downtown
plaza, blocks from the presidential palace, but miles from
the official summit site. According to De la Puente, all of
these events have been coordinated with the government and
security should be tight.

The Threat of Violence and Nationwide Protest
--------------

4. (C) The GOP's main concern remains that radicals intent on
embarrassing the government will infiltrate an otherwise
peaceful, democratic event and seek confrontations with
police (refs A & B). Some analysts have speculated that a
recent violent student protest against a road construction
project at San Marcos University -- a hotbed of radicalism --
was actually a trial run for clashes during the summit.
Protestors injured several police and burned a patrol car;
police briefly detained 24 students. The GOP is also
concerned about a series of strikes announced by social
movements around the country. According to press reports,
several groups have threatened to launch a general strike on
May 14-15 in Cusco, Puno, Arequipa, Tacna, Moquegua,
Ayacucho, and Tacna. A national mining strike scheduled for
May 12 was postponed for several weeks after the government
agreed to discuss key mining union demands.

Security Tight
--------------

5. (C) The GOP has deployed thousands of police across the
city and set up road barriers near hotels and at the Museo de
la Nacion, the main summit site. Security will increase
progressively throughout the week until the heads of state
arrive on May 16th, when key roads will be completely shut
down, according to press reports. GOP security services are
coordinating closely with our EU Mission counterparts, and
Government Ministers remain relatively confident that
security measures will be sufficient to the task.
MCKINLEY