Don Julio Gualberto García Agapito (c. February 1, 1964 – February 26, 2008) was a Peruvian environmentalist who was murdered on February 26, 2008 after reporting a shipment of illegally harvested
mahogany in
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = National seal
, national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...
. Don Julio was Lieutenant Governor of the town of
Alerta
Alerta is a city in the Madre de Dios Region of Peru. It is located very close to the border with the Madre de Dios Region. It is located 696 km (435 mi) from the region's capital, Pucallpa
Pucallpa (, qu, puka allpa, lit=red dir ...
in the
Tahuamanu Province
Tahuamanu Province is the smallest of three provinces in the Madre de Dios Region of Peru.
Political division
The province is divided into three districts, which are:
* Iberia
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese and Occitan: ''Peni ...
of
Madre de Dios, Peru.
Life
Don Julio García was a
Brazil nut
The Brazil nut (''Bertholletia excelsa'') is a South American tree in the family Lecythidaceae, and it is also the name of the tree's commercially harvested edible seeds. It is one of the largest and longest-lived trees in the Amazon rainforest. ...
producer and local leader in Alerta, Peru. He was born in Iberia, a small city to the north along the
Interoceanic Highway
The Interoceanic Highway or Trans-oceanic highway is an international, transcontinental highway in Peru and Brazil to connect the two countries. The east–west passageway spans 2600 kilometers. From Peru's Pacific Ocean coastline, it continues ...
in
Madre de Dios, Peru. In 1984, he moved south to Alerta. He lived there with his wife and three young children. He was known as an energetic
environmentalist
An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that se ...
in the community.
Murder of Don Julio
On February 26, 2008, Don Julio reported the trafficking of 34 logs of illegal mahogany to Peru's Natural Resource Management Agency, INRENA. The mahogany had been logged along the Peru-
Bolivia border and driven to Alerta by Sr. Amancion Jacinto Maque, approximately 27 years old and resident of a neighboring community, and driver Sr. Angel Vivanco Gonzales in a vehicle owned by Sra. Victoria Jacinto Maque and Raul Vargas. The truck was confiscated by a police officer in Alerta and driven to the local INRENA office. While Don Julio was in the office, Sr. Vivanco attempted to steal the mahogany-laden truck. With an extra set of keys, he drove the truck off the property. The police official followed in his vehicle.
According to a witness account taken by the Human Rights Office of the Parochial Defense Council of Iberia (Defensoría Parroquial de Iberia), Sr. Jacinto entered the INRENA office and shot at Don Julio 10 times. Eight of the bullets hit their mark. Don Julio died instantly in front of two witnesses. Sr. Jacinto fled the premises and allegedly crossed the border into Peru.
Amazonia.org.br
He has not been seen since. Neither Sr. Vivanco nor Sra. Victoria Jacinto Maque has been charged with any crime.
The truck carrying illegal mahogany was eventually recaptured and the wood confiscated by INRENA.
Don Julio was 44 years old.
References
External links
Matan de 7 disparos a teniente gobernador, en Madre de Dios
Cronica Viva. 28 February 2008.
Rhett A. Butler. Mongabay.com. 14 March 2008.
Murder on the Resource Frontier
Andrew Revkin. Dot Earth Blog @ New York Times. 17 March 2008.
Asesinan a teniente gobernador de siete disparos en Madre de Dios
Andina. 28 February 2008.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Agapito, Don Julio Garcia
Peruvian environmentalists
1960s births
2008 deaths