On Tuesday, Indigenous land protest widely against President Iván Duque. His government promises to support. However, in the past, similar promises had been broken again and again.
Almost a month was blocked by a ride on the famous pan-American highway, which connects with only a few interruptions, Alaska in the fire country, in Colombia. Indigenous and activists in the States of Cauca and Nariño, in the southwest of the country, requested a dialogue with President Iván Duque. This was the conversation, as long as the Blockade remains in place, and sent instead his Minister of the interior. After days of negotiations, the breakthrough came at the weekend. However, the implementation of the agreement between the representatives of the Indigenous and the government turns out to be already extremely difficult.
An old Problem
Since the independence in 1819, the indigenous population in Colombia has been greatly disadvantaged. Again and again their rights were restricted. In spite of several initiatives to improve the legal situation of the Indigenous, have made large landowners, wars, and decades of high crime and your life difficult. Even today, Cauca and Nariño are among the most insecure regions of the country, which were, among other things, to the battlefield of the drug war.
For three weeks, blocked Indigenous people, the pan-American highway, the Alaska fire country connects
In 2005, several indigenous groups joined together to form a so-called “Minga” is a traditional Form of organization of the Autonomous communities, with the help of which you fight for your rights. The Minga of the year 2005 continued the then-President Álvaro Uribe, under pressure. He promised a significant increase in the government spending for the affected regions and the distribution of agricultural land. However, from the point of view of the Minga, the agreements were not complied with. Similar movements have led in the years 2009 and 2014 to further promise with a written agreement, which led, however, hardly any concrete results.
Peace and hope
The peace process that led in 2016 to the agreement between the government of President Juan Manuel Santos, and the then most powerful guerrilla in the country, FARC, a significant part of the compensation for the victims of the war, for oppressed minorities. Among other things, expropriated land to distribute land among the Victims in rural regions. For the Indigenous in Cauca and Nariño, the agreement with its new legislation, brought hope that a proper compensation and recognition of their rights. A special Commission, which should ensure the observance of the already signed agreements, was launched. As the Commitments have not been again met, raised this year’s Minga claims to the government, which are more demanding than ever before.
Duques development plan under pressure
In February, President Iván Duque presented its development plan: an ambitious collection of economic measures that should boost growth in the country by the year 2020. In the Plan included investment in rural areas, including for the Indigenous in Cauca and Nariño.
Tricking the Colombian President Iván Duque?
After negotiations with the Minister of the interior, the government has stated that it is on the weekend ready to invest around EUR 235 million in the indigenous communities. With social housing, roads, education and health facilities you like, and in particular, contrary to the Regional Indigenous Association of Cauca (Cric). But the President coupled these measures in its development plan and continues to be a clever political strategy: the development plan must be approved by the Colombian Senate.
Power games in the Senate
The development plan is seen as a flag ship project of the government. Its adoption in the Colombian Parliament, however, is at the Moment very unlikely. Although the Plan includes social investment, which will be welcomed on all sides of the political spectrum. Duque has been placed but with a different political projects, even stones in the way: The President has to modify all the special laws created in the framework of the peace agreement with the guerrillas. Supporters of the peace agreement and see it as a threat to the peace process and provide strong resistance. Thus, Duque has deepened the divide in the country. The Opposition will now exploit the retention of the special laws as a condition for the adoption of the development plan.
Regardless of whether the development is adopted plan and the measures contained therein for the Indigenous or not, will be fulfilled the demands of the Minga. This is because, with respect to the high deficit of the Colombian state budget, the promised aid has been reduced significantly. The now promised EUR 235 million are far less than the originally requested 13 billion euros. 40,000 required hectares of land are being promised to 15,000. And the slow debates in the Parliament will meet on a skeptical Minga, the agreement already hardly takes seriously.
Renewed Protests
The Minga in Cauca and Nariño has set up their Blockade, for the time being. Other indigenous groups have called for new protests in other regions of the country. In the Colombian Amazon region will be blocked since Monday for the same roads. Here, too, the protesters demand the direct Intervention of the President.
9. April has been declared in Colombia, as of the day of remembrance for the victims of the armed conflict. The participants of the Minga will take the opportunity to highlight their struggle. The hope is that history will repeat itself again.