Peru: Violence on Sixth Day of Cajamarca Strike · Global Voices
Juan Arellano

There have been new reports of violence in Cajamarca on the sixth day of the strike going on in the region.  As you may recall, the various organizations against the mining activities and specifically the Conga Project agreed to start an indefinite strike starting May 31, and the first day took place without violence.
The blog NoticiasSer has been providing reports [es] about each day of the strike. On the second day, [es] friction with the police was reported, resulting in some demonstrators being injured with pellet guns. The third [es] and fourth [es] days went by with no major confrontations. On the fifth day, several marches throughout the city were reported, as well as clashes between students and police.
El estudiante Juan Manuel Castillo Torres de la Universidad Privada del Norte, desde el hospital de Cajamarca, denunció que al momento de salir de su centro de estudios, al promediar las 2:30 de la tarde, efectivos de la policía han detenido y castigado a diversos estudiantes, dejándolos con heridas en varias zonas del cuerpo. No obstante, por el momento se desconoce la identidad de los demás estudiantes heridos.
The following video uploaded to YouTube by user Ojos de Lechuza [es] shows the moments described.
The sixth [es] day saw blockades and groups of protesters in various parts of the city, as well as protests in other cities in the region:
En Bambamarca y Celendín la población continúa movilizándose. En estos momentos, en la plaza de Armas de Celendín se realiza un mitin. Desde Cajamarca el presidente de la Plataforma Interinstitucional Celendina, Mílton Sánchez, informó a Noticias SER: “Hemos venido a Cajamarca con 5 mil pobladores pero en estos momentos en Celendín la población está apoyando el paro”.
In the Plaza de Armas in Cajamarca a meeting was held during which the regional president of Cajamarca, Gregorio Santos, addressed the protesters with some phrases that later created a commotion (full audio here) [es]:
Reactions to this speech were not only on the Internet and in the media [es] but the Presidency of the national Congress issued a statement regarding the speech in which Gregorio Santos was accused of “inciting rebellion” and violating his duties as Regional President. The statement continues:
En aras de salvaguardar la democracia, la tranquilidad pública y no permitir la exaltación de la violencia y la comisión de delitos como los que aquí señalo; INVOCO al Señor Fiscal de la Nación, JOSÉ PELÁEZ BARDALES, a que actúe de oficio conforme lo señala el artículo 159º de la Constitución, formulando la inmediata denuncia penal que procure reponer el orden y el Estado de Derecho en la Región de Cajamarca.
After the rally, the protesters headed for various parts of the city, where, in the afternoon, the police came to evict them. The blog Wauqui reported [es] cases of police repression near the National University of Cajamarca and the Plaza Bolognesi:
La PNP [Policía Nacional del Perú] lanzó gases lacrimógenos, golpeó e hirió con perdigones a manifestantes. No existió bloqueo de ruta, desmanes o delito alguno que provocara la reacción de las fuerzas de seguridad.
The report continues:
Aylambo fue la zona de mayor conflicto. Distrito semi-rural y de quebradas pronunciadas, muchos escaparon por su picadas. Otros, perdidos, deambularon por la zona hasta ser ayudados por vecinos del lugar. Todavía hacia la medianoche no se podía precisar el número de heridos. En un primer momento la atención a las víctimas en el Hospital Regional fue imposible. La PNP sitio sus instalaciones, lo que obligó a improvisar una enfermería en la Iglesia San Francisco. 50 fue el número estimativo de heridos. Todos manifestantes.
The blog Frente de Defensa Ambiental (Environmental Defense Front) also reported the events:
A las 9.30 p.m,. la policía nacional ha atacado en forma salvaje a los campesinos de Bambamarca que se encontraban en la zona de Aylambo, salida a la costa, estos hermanos fueron trasladados al hospital y otros están siendo atendidos en el atrio de la iglesia San Francisco. Convocamos a todo el pueblo a salir a las calles y solidarizarse con nuestros hermanos de Bambamarca.
But these were not the only incidents of violence. Two videos in particular have attracted considerable attention for the show of gratuitous violence. In the first one, uploaded by carolinach55, the police can be seen attacking women setting up an open-air kitchen organized by the protesters (minute 3.00).
In the second video, uploaded by 24 horas, a videographer tells how the police assaulted him for filming part of the attack seen in the first video.
Meanwhile in Lima, reactions to Santos’ speech monopolized the media. For example Yehude Simon (ex prime minister) said [es] that asking for the president to step down is a call for a coup, and the minister of defense indicated [es] that Santos is trying to take Peru to dangerous extremes. However, Congressman Javier Diez Canseco said  “It is absurd to accuse Gregorio Santos of inciting rebellion”, and at the other political extreme, Aldo Mariátegui wrote [es] he saw no reason for such a fuss when Humala himself used similar language when he was the opposition (see for example this video [es] where Ollanta Humala asks for then president Alan García to step down.
From Cajamarca Gregorio Santos himself clarified his words indicating [es] he would collect signatures to convoke a Constitutional Congress to change the current Constitution. For his part, President Humala said, referring to the promises made by him, “It is not easy to build what others seek to destroy, it's difficult but possible because we will create the Great Transformation, whether or not the extremists like it.”
Although demands for stepping down or removal from the presidency are strong words, it's not the first time this has happened, so it should not be taken too seriously. As the journalist Rollly Valdivia commented commented [es] on Facebook:
Tranquilos. Pedir vacancia es casi un deporte nacional. Recuerden el gobierno de Toledo, donde supuestos grandes demócratas pedían que deje el cargo…