By Marco Aquino
LIMA (Reuters) - Peruvian protesters held 48 policeofficers hostage in a church on Tuesday after freeing a dozenwho were injured as the government rushed to negotiate a dealthat would end a week-long blockade of a mining region andavert further violence.
Residents of Moquegua have occupied roads, including Peru'smain highway to Chile, and severed access to a mine and smelterbelonging to Southern Copper, the country's largest copperproducer, to demand their province receive a bigger share oftaxes paid by the company.
Police, armed with tear gas but vastly outnumbered, wereoverpowered by club-wielding protesters on Monday when theytried to break the blockade of a bridge. The police, some ofthem injured, were then herded into a nearby church andsurrounded by hundreds of protesters.
"Leaders of the protest agreed to evacuate 12 officers to ahospital because they were seriously injured," said VeronicaParedes of the Peruvian ombudsman's office, which is helpinghandle negotiations with protesters.
The protests started with 5,000 people fanned out acrossthe province and have included as many as 20,000 as PresidentAlan Garcia faces mounting pressure to spread the wealth from asix-year economic boom to the poor.
Delays could erode support for his free-market programs ata time when left-wing parties are eyeing Peru's nextpresidential election in 2011 and the poverty rate, whilefalling, is still near 40 percent.
Garcia's chief of staff, Jorge del Castillo, held anotherround of hastily scheduled meetings early on Tuesday with localpolitical leaders to try to reach a settlement. He has blamedleft-wing political groups for rejecting a deal.
Road links have been severed to cities in Tacna, Peru'ssouthernmost province, and the government has been forced tosend tanker ships with food and fuel to replenish supplies.
Moquegua blames the central government for allowing Tacnato get a larger share of taxes generated by Southern Copper.
Residents in provinces like Moquegua say Peru's economicsurge has passed them by, even as mining companies reap hugeprofits.
(Reporting by Marco Aquino, Terry Wade and Maria LuisaPalomino, Editing by Sandra Maler and Cynthia Osterman)
