With banners reading "Defend the Rainforest" and "No Dam on Our Rivers," indigenous followers of the Native Federation of the Rio Madre de Dios (FENAMAD) marched on the Peruvian jungle city of Puerto Maldonado July 28. As Peru celebrated its Independence Day, much of the southern regions of Cusco, Puno, Madre de Dios and Apurímac were paralyzed by a paro, or general strike, to call a halt to the export of natural gas from the Camisea field in the rainforest of Cusco region, as well as construction of the Inambari hydro-electric plant in Madre de Dios. It is the second general strike in as many months to halt traffic and business in Peru's Southern Macro-Region—and this time the strike has been declared open-ended.

Photo: FENAMAD