President Rafael Correa of Ecuador wants to drill and mine oil on the land of the Amazon Indians. The Indians, on the other hand, want absolutely nothing to do with this activity on their lands. These Indians, who are about 35 percent of the country's 14.5 million people, were called "infantile minorities" by the President last wedensday for opposing the new laws on mining and water management and meeting it with violence. He said, "Tremendously violent groups armed with shotguns and rifles waited for police and met them with gunshots." The conflict started at a roadblock where 500 police claimed they were provoked into violence by attacking Shuar Indians protesting the resources legislation. This confrontation at a roadblock killed at least one Indian and wounded 40 police and nine Indians. The conflict has no peaceful resoultion in the near future since laws are passed by the National Assembly, which Correa's party and its allies control.
By Carla Lutz
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091001/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_ecuador_indian_protest
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