Inhabitants from several southern Peruvian provinces on Monday blocked important highways to protest against the land use and the industrial pollution to the environment.

Protestors from the departments of Cusco, Ayacucho, Apurimac and Junin have been setting up roadblocks, blocking highways for several days, asking the central government to build more infrastructure in the four southern provinces, and to stop foreign mining and oil companies from exploring local land and hurting local environment.

Police clashed with the indigenous Indians in the Amazon region also on land issues on June 5 and 6, causing at least 34 deaths. Facing pressure from the international community, the Peruvian Congress revoked two controversial decrees on land ownership in the Amazon river basin, which triggered mass protests by indigenous groups.

Source: Xinhua