PRESIDENT CALLS FOR RECONCILIATION, CONGRESS

C O N F I D E N T I A L LIMA 000875

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/19/2019
TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR PTER PE
SUBJECT: PRESIDENT CALLS FOR RECONCILIATION, CONGRESS
REPEALS DECREES

Classified By: Amb. P Michael McKinley for reasons 1.4b and d.


1. (C) Summary: President Garcia struck a conciliatory but
defensive tone in a televised speech Wednesday night,
acknowledging government error in handling the controversial
presidential decrees that sparked weeks of protests in the
Amazon. Most media interpreted Garcia's speech as an apology
despite his rigorous self-defense. Today, Congress voted 82
to 14 to approve the governments proposal to repeal the
decrees, and the indigenous group that organized the protests
publicly thanked the government. Elsewhere -- in tangential
protests that piggy-backed off the Amazonian protests -- the
press is reporting an initial truce in Apurimac, and the
start of negotiations in Cusco. Regarding protest deaths,
the highly respected Human Rights Ombudsman's Office on June
16 released an updated list of 10 civilians and 23 police
confirmed killed during the Amazonian protest violence. End
Summary.

President Garcia Addresses Nation
--------------

2. (SBU) President Garcia struck a conciliatory but defensive
tone in a televised speech to the nation on June 17,
acknowledging government error in handling the decrees that
sparked Amazonian protests. Garcia admitted the GOP had
failed to consult with indigenous groups before approving the
decrees in June 2008. He added, however, that the GOP did
not inform indigenous groups because the legislation was
intended to protect, not threaten, their lands. The
President then defended the decrees by invoking the
environmental protection required by our free trade
agreement. He also reiterated that indigenous groups who
protested the decrees were misguided by outside agitators.
The President requested calm as the Prime Minister and
indigenous groups renew dialogue, and said the violence was a
"distraction" from Peru's bigger challenges, such as the
global economic crisis. Garcia called for reconciliation and
unity to face these challenges.


3. (C) Most media interpreted Garcia's speech as an apology
despite his rigorous self-defense. One opposition contact
argued the President's message of reconciliation was not
convincing, and cited Garcia's "stubbornness" in defending
the decrees. The contact believed Garcia's message may bring
calm temporarily, but he was skeptical the President would
maintain this conciliatory tone for long.

Congress Votes to Repeal Decrees, Aidesep Offers Thanks
--------------

4. (SBU) Congress today voted 82 to 14 to approve the bill
repealing presidential decrees 1090 and 1064. All parties
supported the bill with the exception of National Unity.
Many Congress people spent the day praising the bill in what
one congressional contact described as an effort to
apologize. Shortly after the vote, the new leader of the
indigenous organization that organized the protests, Aidesep,
publicly thanked both Garcia's government and the people of
Peru for repealing the decrees and called for an end to
remaining protests.

Protest Update: Agreement in Apurimac, Roadblocks in Cusco
--------------

5. (C) The press reported today that the Agriculture Minister
has negotiated a truce in the week-long protest in
Andahuaylas province, of the southern sierra Apurimac Region.
According to the agreement, the truce will last until next
Tuesday, when Prime Minister Yehude Simon will arrive to seek
a more permanent solution. The Agriculture Minister told the
press that the most difficult part of negotiations was
getting the leaders of the various protest groups to agree
amongst themselves.


6. (C) Separately, we spoke with Mayor Carlos Cavero, of the
remote Apurimac Region district of Huancarama, who yesterday
was temporarily taken hostage by protestors and beaten.
Cavero said he is safely in hiding and urging the government
to send additional police to help restore calm. Press
reports that the national police are sending helicopters to
support Huancarama police. In Cusco, the road to Puno
remains blocked and trains along that route are not
operating. The Agriculture Minister was scheduled to travel

from Apurimac to Cusco today to seek an agreement with
protest leaders.


7. (U) The highly respected Human Rights Ombudsman's Office
on June 16 released an updated list of 10 civilians and 23
police confirmed killed during the Amazonian protest
violence. The Ombudsman's office says it continues to search
for one missing police officer and for information on any
civilians that may not yet be reported. The Ombudsman also
listed 19 civilians who remain in custody and 65 who have
been released; 205 civilians who were injured; and hundreds
of civilians who the government helped return to their
communities.
MCKINLEY