The Amazon basin is shared by many
countries in South America: Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Venezuela, Bolivia,
Ecuador, French Guyana, Guyana, and Suriname). Within all of these countries,
the Amazon basin is home to a number of Indigenous Peoples. Due to the increasing
pressures from diverse mega-projects like highway construction, mining, mono-culture
plantations, and more, these Indigenous Peoples are being pushed out of their
homes. Most of these projects take place without previously consulting or
gaining consent from the Indigenous communities that will be affected.
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| Indigenous demonstrators setting up around the offices of the Ministry of the Environment, Photo by Curtis Kline. |
Last Friday, September 22, COICA – Coordinadora de las Organizaciones Indígenas de la Cuenca
Amazónica (Coordination of the Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin),
declared an International Mobilization in those countries. They also decided
that every September 22 will be a day of international mobilization to protect
the Amazon basin and the peoples who live there.
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| David Kawooq, member of the Colombian rock band Doctor Krapula, leading the demonstrators in some songs. Photo by Curtis Kline |
In Bogota, I observed a demonstration held outside
of the National Government’s Ministry of the Environment (which recently gave a
green light to the practice of fracking in these territories). OPIAC
(Indigenous Peoples’ Organization of the Colombian Amazon) presented a list of
demands, such as inviting international human rights observers to verify the
damage caused by those megaprojects, titling the traditional territories to the
peoples who live there, and supporting the traditional livelihoods of the Indigenous
Peoples who depend on the Amazon environment. They also connected the issues to
the recent peace accords between the Government and the FARC, and the current
negotiations with the ELN; stating the necessity of effective participation for
all in order to guarantee a peace in the differing territories of Colombia.
The slogan of the demonstration was Amazonia Viva, Humanidad Segura (Living
Amazon, Safe Humanity).
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| Indigenous leaders of OPIAC, announcing their demands. They are facing the office building oft he Ministry of the Environment. Photo by Curtis Kline. |