FREE TRADE, PERUVIAN FARMERS, OBAMA

Vilcashuaman, Peru
By J. Francisco Canaza. Feb. 2006

As you might know by now, I was born in Peru. Tonight I wrote (in Spanish) about a protest that will be held tomorrow in Lima against the killing of five farmers by the government of Peruvian president Alan Garcia.

The farmers were shot on the head, execution style by the Peruvian police and after officials ordered the attack on unarmed campesinos. The farmers were protesting against the free trade agreement (FTA) which the Bush administration has basically imposed over the corrupted Garcia administration; also they were asking for support of the government to face increasing prices of fertilizers and a wrong national agricultural policy.

The photo I include here shows Vilcashuaman, a province of the Ayacucho region in the central Andes of Peru. A great shot that illustrates the beauty of the land that is at stake, land that might end up being taken away from farmers who will not be able to compete with US corporations.

With free trade, Peruvian farmers will see their market invaded by subsidized US goods. The US-Peru FTA was supposed to include protections for Peruvian farmers and workers in general. So far, 10 people have been killed by the current Garcia administration, including two children. This, after they were protesting for the government's neglect and lack of action on his electoral promises. Garcia was a fierce opponent of free trade until he got "elected" in the very weak Peruvian democracy.

In this video recorded last Sunday in Akron, OH, Barack Obama talks about NAFTA and free trade policies among other issues including universal health care.

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