September 30, 2009; Rio Upano, ECUADOR
(Unofficial English translation)
At 4:40 PM in the area of Río Upano, in the county of Morona, in the province of Morona Santiago, a picket line of 500 police officers launched a violent offensive against over 1,000 protestors of the Shuar nationality that were maintaining a blockade on the bridge over the Upano River.
At the moment, the death of Domingo Wisum, a teacher in the bilingual intercultural education program of approximately 42 years of age, is confirmed. There is still unconfirmed talk of two other indigenous people dead.
On the police side over thirty wounded were reported, who are at this moment being treated at health centers in the city of Macas.
Another political offensive took place in the area of Arapicos, located between the cities of Macas and Sucúa, in the province of Morona Santiago, with the aim of evicting indigenous protestors who kept the route closed for the last three days. As of now, it has not been possible to determine if any blood has been shed.
The indigenous leaders held President Rafael Correa and his Minister of Administration Gustavo Jalkh responsible for what occurred. The government of President Correa has rejected calls for dialogue issued by indigenous leaders, who question the Water Resource Law proposed by the executive, for the reason that it permits the concentration of water resources in few hands and leaves indigenous communities and peasants with a shortage and disadvantaged.
Besides questioning the Water Resources Law, the Shuar people demand the withdrawal of the Canadian mining company ECSA-Ecuacorriente-Corriente Resources, that occupies thousands of hectares of their ancestral territory without permission, thanks to various concessions issued by the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum.
The indigenous peoples of Ecuador have denounced human rights and indigenous rights violations by the government of Rafael Correa and clamor for national and international solidarity.