World BEYOND War; CODEPINK; Semillas de Libertad; Centro de Investigación, Drogas y Derechos Humanos; Coordinadora Internacional de Solidaridad con la lucha de los pueblos del Perú; along with other organizations, have delivered a petition signed by nearly 2,000 people and organizations around the world, to request the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Appropriations Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives to withdraw U.S. military troops from Peruvian territory.
Last month, more than 1,200 U.S. military troops entered Peruvian territory, with weapons of war and military equipment, in an operation called Sentinel Resolute, together with the Peruvian armed forces. These military operations are being carried out in the south of the country, and will continue until December 2023.
The petition has been signed by people in Perú, the United States, and around the world. The petition, which is available here, reads:
The United States and the government of Dina Boluarte in Peru have agreed to carry out a military operation called “Centinela Resuelto 2023”, which involves the deployment of 1,200 United States troops to Peru, with weapons of war and military equipment to carry out joint military exercises.
The United States must suspend all military assistance to Peru. The bilateral agreement between the U.S. and Peru to combat illicit drug trafficking must also be reviewed in a transparent manner, and this should not become an excuse for military interference in the country.
Now, the objective in Peru should be to prioritize the strengthening of democracy and the rule of law over the interests of so-called “security and defense”, which only contributes to the increase of the U.S. military presence on the continent.
In Peru, democracy must be restored and the will of the people respected, after the country’s Congress, through an unconstitutional decision, decided to remove President Pedro Castillo and appoint Dina Boluarte as president. As it is, foreign military assistance only strengthens a government that arose from the breakdown of the democratic order in the country.
This action is in solidarity with the nonviolent, pro-democracy efforts of those supporting Peru around the world, and within the framework of the call for demonstrations in Lima on July 19 through which various movements and national organizations in Peru have united to demand the restitution of democracy and respect for the will of the people.
During the petition delivery, representatives of organizations of Peruvians abroad were present. Also planned for the same day were demonstrations in front of the Peruvian Embassy in Washington, D.C. and at the Peruvian Consulate General in New York City.
The message of these activities has been clear: to work for a Latin America free of U.S. military troops and bases, so that it can be possible to continue being a Zone of Peace, where the will of the people is respected in order to build a world with social justice.