Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Economy | 28 June, 2006 [ 15:00 ]

Congressional FTA debate disturbed by opposition protests - Update -

June 28, 2.45 p.m. - Update:

The Secretary General of 'Union por el Peru' (UPP) Jose Antonio Vega justified last night's violent protests by elected legislators of his own party. He argued that every citizen has the right for protest, especially when Peru's Congress tries, behind the people's back, to approve a treaty that will have immediate consequences affecting every single Peruvian.

He also questioned the attitude of the president of Congress, Marcial Ayaipoma, who - in his view - ordered the forceful removal of demonstrators which caused the little fistfight.
Vega offered his apologies to the Peruvian people for this disconcerting incidence.


June 28, 8.45 a.m.

Last night's debate for the ratification of the Free-Trade agreement (FTA) with the USA was interrupted when a group of recently elected congressmen of 'Union por el Peru' (UPP) accompanied by other FTA opponents burst into the parliament chamber around 10.30 p.m.

It got rough when protesters, led by Alvaro Gutiérrez, Nancy Obregón and Elsa Malpartida, entered the chamber's gallery with anti-FTA signs and strongly voiced their resentment.

Security Personnel tried to regain order by restraining the demonstrators which led to a series of fisticuffs. The president of the Parliament, Marcial Ayaipoma, called for the presence of a public prosecutor and declined to evacuate the plenar hall.

Emotions calmed down after half an hour and the debate commenced.
The forceful intrusion constitutes a violation of the Penal Code, therefore the demonstrators could face charges for preventing Congress from exercising their function.

After the incident, Alvaro Gutiérrez (UPP) declared that the protest against the commercial agreement was developed and executed in a civilized and democratic way and regretted being attacked by the parliament's security guards.

“We only shouted “No to the FTA” during the interruption of the plenary session. We did it in a democratic and orderly form. We have not committed any crime”, he declared.

Malpartida, who allegedly received a blow from one of the gards, said that “we are living in a democratic country where it is not allowed to hear what they are debating. They are selling our country”.

She added it was a shame that Congress "tries to approve the commercial agreement with the United States between “midnight and the rooster's morning cry”.
“Peru will not die if the Free Trade Agreement approval is debated during the next legislature”, she concluded.


tags : Peru economy free-trade USA FTA Congress protest opposition

 | | | |

  Latest news

• Peru : Peru's INC suspends all visits to Machu Picchu citadel
• Peru : Peru: More than 2,000 houses flooded in Huanuco
• Business : Colombian company ISA to invest US$1.8 billion in Peru, Brazil
• Transportation : Peru: Some US $50 million to be invested in Lima Airport
• Travel and Tourism : Peru launches campaign "Cusco at half-price"

Add your comment

Name

Email

Notify me via e-mail of new comments to this entry

Code :

Comment

• Comments are the property of their respective authors, and LivinginPeru.com is not responsible for the content of these comments
• Only comments in English will be published
• Por ahora solo se permiten comentarios en ingles.
• Any offensive, injurious, profane or disrespectful comments will not be published
• You must include a real email address (this WILL be verified) for your comments to be published
• Repeat comments, or comments of a similar nature written by the same person will not be published
• All comments are sent to a moderator before publication
• Referring to the topic indicated in the article will increase your chances of publication
• Repeat offenses of the above guidelines will result in the removal of your ability to comment