Peru squatter eviction turns violent - Gayo Lues

Violent clashes erupted on Thursday July 19, when the riot police tried to enforce a court order indicating that the occupation of the property was illegal.

Earlier a judge had concluded that the occupation of the Puerto Dos Tallos private lot was illegal and ordered that the lot had to be evacuated.

Police clashed with more than 2500 squatters, who invaded and occupied the land two days ago.

In order to evacuate the occupied lot, the Peruvian riot police utilized tear gas to the disperse the raging crowd who fought back with sticks and stones.

The violent clashes which lasted for three hours left at least one police officer injured.

The squatters claim that the abandoned lot cleared their way to occupy it legally, while the legal owners say that they are planning to develop their seven hectare land into a residential complex, so their property should be evacuated.

At the end of the three-hour clashes, the riot police managed to evacuate the area successfully but continued to maintain a heavy presence in the region since most of the illegal residents have remained nearby.

Earlier in 2011, Peruvian police had clashed with a squatter community to force them out of a privately owned land in which they have been living for almost 25 years.

MAM/MY/JR