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Article

23 May 2021

Author:
Deutsche Welle

Colombia: Indigenous face violent attacks and intimidation during national protests

“Colombia: Controversy and violence greet Indigenous protesters”, 19 May 2021

...Although only a few thousand Indigenous people have taken part in the protests, and so are only a small proportion of those on strike, their presence has sparked a heated debate between opponents and supporters of the protests. In one television report, the correspondent referred to "citizens and Indigenous people," implying that Indigenous people were not themselves citizens. Many people have tweeted that the Minga are "besieging" Cali and using armed force on other citizens. President Ivan Duque even requested that they return to their territories to avoid any more "unnecessary confrontations"...The demands of the protesters and those of the Indigenous people do, however, overlap…According to the NGO Indepaz, at least 300 Indigenous leaders have been killed since the peace agreement between the government and Colombia's FARC rebels was signed in 2016...The issue at stake is the distribution of land, and whether population groups who resided here long before the land was colonized should have to defer to laws laid down by a state that killed their ancestors…[T]he drug cartels, as well as other armed parties such as paramilitary groups, are often a danger to the Indigenous population. The areas where they live are important transit zones for the drug trade. And armed groups are not known for their diplomacy...The strike is not just happening in Cali; the strike is happening all over the country," she explains. "And it's in our territories that we Indigenous people can make the most effective contribution...

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