Catholic Church agrees to mediate in Peruvian Amazon conflict

Lima, Peru, Jun 10, 2009 / 14:02 pm

The president of the Peruvian Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Miguel Cabrejos, announced this week that the Church has agreed to participate in mediation intended to re-establish order in the Amazon region, where confrontations between natives and police have left dozens dead.

After meeting with the head of the cabinet, Yehude Simon, Archbishop Cabrejos said the purpose of the Church’s participation in a dialogue is to achieve “reconciliation” among Peruvians.

“We want what is good, peace, reconciliation and the restitution of social peace,” the archbishop said, explaining that the bishops’ conference would soon select a representative for the mediation.

He called on Peruvians to “avoid every kind of violence,” and called for calm and serenity.

Simon said the Church’s mediation represents “a guarantee of total independence” for the native communities.

The crisis in the Amazon resulted from objections by the native community to legislative decrees promulgated by the Peruvian government about the right to ownership of their lands.