Report From The Front
A vigil for Rosalino Flores in Cusco.
Things have remained calm over the past month although small protests continue in Lima and in Puno. The recent calming of the waters has allowed me to finally take some time to get settled.
I managed to get into my apartment and began taking much-needed Spanish classes. The rest of my time is spent doing research for this project and scheduling photo shoots. In order to move forward and plan, I need to deal with my visa situation which is entirely another story. I am working on that and I am hopeful that I have found a solution. I will update you on that once I know more.
Although things have calmed of late, the tension and the issues that caused the recent upheaval, are simmering just below the surface. A few things occurred over the past week that had the potential of causing it to boil over again. It also demonstrated the government’s disregard and treatment that borders on disdain for the indigenous people here.
The first was when 22-year-old Rosalino Flores died on March 21st. The young man was hit with 36 buckshot pellets from a shotgun at close range during January’s protests in Cusco. He had remained in a hospital in Lima for the past two months but eventually succumbed to his injuries.
His death added to the body count from the protests and fuelled the anger people are feeling. Vigils were held for him here in his hometown of Cusco as his family, friends, loved ones and mourners waited for his body to be returned. I was there with them as they gathered at the airport for his scheduled noon arrival on March 23rd.
Police and armed forces stand guard at the airport in Cusco as the body of Rosalino Flores is expected to arrive.
When the plane arrived, the people waiting were told that his body was not on the flight. They said he would arrive at 3pm. Once again, he was not on that flight. After the authorities toyed with his family, mourners and the media throughout the day, he finally arrived around 8pm and a peaceful procession was permitted to take place through the city.
A few days later, Amnesty International Peru was scheduled to release their annual report along with the results of their investigation of the treatment of protesters. The presentation was scheduled to take place in the evening and was to take place at the Place of Memory, Tolerance and Social Inclusion in Lima, which is a memorial to the violence that occurred throughout Peru in the 1980s & 90s. In the afternoon of the same day, just a few hours before the meeting was to occur, local authorities closed the facility citing incorrect paperwork by the organization. Sure, uh huh… it was an obvious attempt at preventing the presentation of the report.
AIP scrambled and was able to find another location to host the release of the report and discussions to follow. The turnout was large and without surprise the findings were damning. At the same time this was occurring, a delegation from the United Nations was touring prisons throughout the country where people arrested during the protests are being held indiscriminately. They, along with many human rights organizations have expressed their concern with Peru’s actions and its treatment of its citizens.
Residents from Tantarcalla protest the threat of community eviction in front of the courthouse in Cusco.
While all this was occurring, I was following another story that I found the most shocking. To me, it epitomizes the racism and exploitation of the indigenous people that fuels the underlying anger and issues facing the country.
More on that in the next post.
