Peru’s government has declared a state of emergency in three northern provinces following nine days of protests by indigenous groups in the Amazon basin. Members of sixty-five Indian tribes are protesting a law that would make it easier for communal land to be sold to developers. The protests began when the Indians blocked an important natural gas installation and oil pipeline. Peru’s Environment Minister Antonio Brack condemned the protests.

Antonio Brack: “The indigenous groups have occupied the Corral Quemado bridge, closed the marginal motorway and threatened to shut off the oil and gas pipelines in Camisea, and the Peruvian state can’t allow this to happen.”

But indigenous activists vowed to keep fighting to protect their land.

Indigenous activist: “We conserve the environment. We are not ignorant. We are prepared. We know that foreigners want to buy our Amazon lands, because they know they are the world’s lungs. We will not allow this. We will die fighting for our rights.”