Latest news with #StevenGrattanAssociatedPress
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Colombia takes regional lead in Indigenous self-government
Steven GrattanAssociated Press Colombia this week took a leading position in Latin America for Indigenous rights and forest protection by formalizing Indigenous local governments across swaths of the Amazon, raising hopes that other countries in the region will follow its lead. Activists say Monday's decision gives Indigenous communities not just land titles, but actual self-governing authority — complete with public budgets and administrative power. The process, underway since 2018, now has a legal framework enabling Indigenous councils to function as official local governments. 'This puts Colombia in the lead when it comes to recognizing Indigenous rights — not just to land, but to identity, autonomy, and decision-making over their own development,' said Mayu Velasco Anderson, head of the Peru and Colombia program at nongovernmental organization Rainforest Foundation Norway. Patricia Suárez, Indigenous leader and adviser to the National Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Colombian Amazon, called the presidential decree 'historic.' 'We have been seeking recognition of our autonomy and self-determination as Indigenous Territorial Entities for over 30 years,' Suárez said. 'This progress is a milestone in the consolidation of the rights of Indigenous Peoples as autonomous governments.' In contrast, other Latin American countries typically only grant land titles. Brazil, for example, has extensive Indigenous territories that frequently intersect multiple municipalities, forcing communities to navigate conflicting public systems and undermining their self-governance. 'In Brazil, even demarcated and regularized Indigenous lands fall under the administrative boundaries of states and municipalities, and communities depend on these governments to access public policies,' said Inés Luna Maira, head of institutional partnerships at Rainforest Foundation Norway. 'They have to deal with a patchwork of public systems and elected officials that don't reflect Indigenous governance.' Suriname, home to some of the most intact forests and Indigenous and Maroon communities, lags furthest behind other nations in the region on this issue. Colombia's new framework gives Indigenous groups direct authority over their territories, streamlining governance and boosting protections for forests that are critical to combating climate change. Julia Urrunaga, director of Peru Programs at the nonprofit Environmental Investigation Agency welcomed the move and expressed hope that her country would follow Colombia's example. 'We celebrate this victory for the Indigenous Peoples of Colombia,' she said. 'Sadly, the Peruvian government has been walking in the opposite direction — passing laws that affect Indigenous rights without prior consultation, which goes against Peru's own constitution.' Urrunaga pointed to what environmental activists have dubbed Peru´s 'Anti-Forest Law," which activists say legalizes illegal deforestation in Indigenous territories, and to the government's promotion of palm oil plantations over Amazonian forest. 'Peru's Indigenous Peoples are still struggling to receive recognition of their ancestral territories,' she said. 'And even when they obtain it, they don't get the support they deserve from the state to protect their land and forests for the benefit of all humanity.'
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Peru's Indigenous leaders raise concerns over oil and gas projects
Steven GrattanAssociated Press BOGOTA, Colombia — Indigenous leaders from the Peruvian Amazon who are calling for the government to stop oil and gas projects in their territory took their case to an international human rights body on Tuesday. The leaders presented evidence of the impact of oil and gas exploration at a hearing before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. They said the projects violate Indigenous rights by threatening their land, health and food security and are in breach of international obligations that require Indigenous groups to be consulted. The Indigenous leaders are represented by the Interethnic Association for the Development of the Peruvian Rainforest, or AIDESEP. The group argues that the projects also pose risks to uncontacted Indigenous groups and also noted specific impact on Indigenous women. During the meeting, the Peruvian government said it is a democratic state which respects law and guarantees human rights to all its citizens and that it is committed to strengthening it. But Julio Cusurichi Palacios, a member of AIDESEP's Board of Directors from the Madre de Dios region of the Amazon said the government "have stated things that are not in accordance with what is happening in reality." 'The rights of Indigenous peoples are not being respected, the contamination of our rivers and territories continues, there are threats to uncontacted Indigenous Peoples, more regulations that make environmental standards more flexible, and oil and gas lots continue to be promoted,' he told The Associated Press after the hearing. The government denied most of the claims made by the Indigenous groups and did not reply to AP's requests for comment. Recent reports have found that the Peruvian government continues to auction Indigenous lands for oil and gas exploration. Approximately 75 percent of the Peruvian Amazon — home to 21 Indigenous groups — is covered by oil and gas concessions, many of which overlap with Indigenous territories, according to the International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs. 'I believe this situation has been getting increasingly worse," Cesar Ipenza, an environmental lawyer who took part in the hearing, told AP. 'There's a policy of promoting extractive activities in highly vulnerable areas, especially in the Amazon.' He added that the impact on the environment and the lack of communication with Indigenous groups is already evident, but 'the Peruvian state claims that everything is fine and that there are no problems with oil and gas activities.' The commission has asked the Peruvian government to provide written responses to the claims, focusing on their protocols for handling oil spills and supporting affected communities. Joint data from several Peruvian organizations has documented 831 oil spills in the Peruvian Amazon. There are at least 20 uncontacted tribes in Peru that live in the most remote, uncontacted regions of the Amazon rainforest, according to Survival International, an advocacy group for Indigenous peoples. Survival International told AP the recent appearance of dozens of uncontacted Mashco-Piro people near logging concessions inside their territory, and subsequent deadly encounters between logging workers and the Indigenous people, underline just how vulnerable these groups have become. 'Because they've failed to get redress in Peru, Indigenous organizations there have turned to international fora like the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights,' said Teresa Mayo, Peru researcher for Survival International. 'They want the Commission to force Peru to abide by the international laws and treaties it's signed up to, rather than ignore those aspects which it finds inconvenient.'
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Renewable energy ambitions in northern Colombia collide with Indigenous worries
Steven GrattanAssociated Press CABO DE LA VELA, Colombia — Giant wind turbines tower over a cemetery sacred to Zoyla Velasquez and her Indigenous Wayuu community, native to the La Guajira region in northern Colombia. This arid, wind-swept region, dotted with cacti and roaming herds of goats, holds immense potential to position Colombia as a wind and solar energy leader. However, resistance from the Wayuu community has stalled many proposed projects by multinational companies and the government. The Wayuu have concerns about the environmental and cultural impacts and the lack of prior consultation in what's one of the nation's poorest regions. Now, these companies are also eyeing the region's offshore wind farm prospects. "This cemetery is sacred to us, the Wayuu," the 64-year-old Velasquez said in Spanish, though she is more comfortable speaking in her native Wayuunaiki. Wayuu leaders say what is threatened isn't the cemetery itself but the spirituality of the territory. "It is here that the bones of our ancestors rest. That's what matters most to us." The region could generate approximately 15 gigawatts of wind energy, according to Colombia's Mining and Energy Planning Unit, which could power up to an estimated 37.5 million homes annually. It's part of Colombia's just energy transition, aiming to replace fossil fuels with renewables while supporting vulnerable groups like Indigenous peoples. The Wayuu say this isn't happening. Rising tensions Construction started on the La Guajira 1 wind farm — which looms over the cemetery near Cabo de la Vela — in 2020 after a mix of legal processes, government backing, and controversial negotiations and unsatisfactory prior consultation. It faced significant opposition from the Wayuu and has been producing electricity since 2022, but is not yet hooked up to the interconnected system. "Wayuu spirituality is the fundamental base of our life and existence," said Aníbal Mercado, a "Palabrero," head of the regional Wayuu council. He wasn't part of the consultations due to his staunch opposition. "If something disturbs the peacefulness of our dead, they're affecting spiritual peace and tranquility. And as long as (the turbines) are there, there is going to be direct violation, anxiety and impact." EDITOR'S NOTE: This is part of a series of on how tribes and Indigenous communities are coping with and combating climate change. A lot of the population also preserve traditional, semi nomadic ways of living on "rancherias," which are thatched-like roofed huts, made from dried cacti and mud, herd cattle and goats, and many are armed. They also have a traditional governance system and laws based on their cultural and spiritual practices. Critics warn that the government's push to expedite approvals for other developments could escalate tensions. "La Guajira has been very sought after by these companies," Samuel Lanao, head of Corpoguajira, La Guajira's environment authority told The Associated Press in Riohacha, the region's capital. "When a foreign company enters these territories with the intention of exploiting renewable energies, there is always going to be a clash." Colombia's government has committed to respecting Indigenous rights through legal frameworks like the 1991 Constitution, which recognizes Indigenous autonomy, and international agreements that ensure their right to prior consultation and participation in decisions that affect them. The 2016 Peace Agreement also touched on Indigenous communities' rights, land restitution, and participation in political processes. Social issues have begun to spook companies, with 57 planned projects stalled, according to Indepaz, a Bogotá-based development organization with extensive research on the matter. While some projects are Colombian, the majority involve international companies from Brazil, Europe, U.S. and Canada. "It's clear they're worried. There's been a slowdown in the progress of these energy transition projects precisely because of that conflict," Lanao said. "I believe that the national government plays an important role in achieving a community-company agreement." Colombia's environment ministry did not respond to requests for comment. A replacement for coal? The region is home to Cerrejon, one of the largest open-pit coal mines in the world and a major player in Latin America's mining sector, which has been in operation since 1985. The mine has just nine years left in its lifespan, and its closure, without alternative plans in place, will deal a significant blow to the region's economy. "You can imagine what this energy transition means to us," Lanao said. "This renewable energy sector comes to supply the income that the coal exploitation gives us today in La Guajira." Developing wind projects in Guajira is key to guaranteeing a reliable supply of electricity in Colombia, says Margarita Nieves, founder of Colombian Offshore Wind Research Network and La Guajira native. Nieves added for La Guajira, it represents an opportunity to have a new industry that will generate employment, position it as a center for the production of goods and services for the wind energy sector, and contribute to meeting the electricity demand of its inhabitants. But the issue is also causing internal friction within the Wayuu community which stems from differing views on economic benefits, with some supporting development for financial gain. The AP spoke to several Wayuu families living near wind turbines who do not oppose the companies operating there, as they have received financial assistance and housing. Others are not convinced. "An old saying goes that if you've never owned a chicken, manure looks like an egg to you," Mercado, the Palabrero, said when asked about those in the community who accept help from the companies, which is much less than what he'd consider fair compensation. "There are many communities that have never had anything. In the midst of so much need, so much crisis, so much hunger, any little penny that they are being offered now seems like a miracle cure and the greatest wealth in the world to them," he said. New offshore plans also shunned Companies are now carrying out studies for offshore wind farms, which is also enraging the Wayuu, especially traditional fishers, known as Apalanchii. Lanao, of the environmental authority, says just because the project is in the sea, it does not mean the communities do not have influence. The Apalanchii use traditional fishing techniques, with nets, hooks and sometimes spearfishing. It is not only a means of sustenance but also a culturally important activity which they say ties them to their ancestors and the land. "We are really worried about the offshore wind farms," said fisherman Aaron Laguna Ipuana, 57, during an early morning fishing trip in Cabo de la Vela with his crew. "They're going to displace us and the sea is everything to us. It sustains us." Mercado says the government needs to do more to ensure Wayuu people are involved. "We are concerned that these projects continue and that the government is letting them go ahead, without even coming to say what is going to happen and what is in the interest of the Wayuu people," said Mercado. "The Wayuu defend their territory with blood and death, if necessary," he said. At the cemetery, Velasquez, dressed in a traditional Wayuu robe and headscarf, gently strokes and observes the graves alongside her sister and young niece. In the background, the turbine blades continue to turn. "The nobility of a Wayuu is used by companies," Velazquez says. "May they do something good for us ... the way we want it."
