CSN News

(Translated by Amy Rose Pekol, a CSNÕs volunteer translator)

Wayœu Indigenous Hearing in Cabo de la Vela, Colombia
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Author: TPP (Permanent PeopleÕs Tribunal) &
ONIC (National Indigenous Organization of Colombia)
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The Wayœu Indigenous Hearing was successful in terms of the high turnout, but not so considering the weakness and grief of its attendees. ÊWith the enduring energy from the burning sun, the refreshing breeze from the sea and the mirror of the desert, the fifth and last Permanent PeopleÕs Tribunal (TPP in its Spanish acronym) indigenous pre-hearing took place in Cabo de Vela, Colombia on June 18th and 19th, 2008. ÊThe meeting coincides with the Latin American Forum and the Final Indigenous Hearing from July 17-19 in Valledupar and At‡nquez, Kankuamo Reserve of the Sierra Nevada, respectively.

Mining, fishing, ports and other riches vs. the poverty caused by multinational corporations in the Wayœu territory were among the topics discussed during the two-day hearing. ÊMore than 170 delegates from different regions of the Wayœu community, such as Maicao, Uribia, Mayabamgloma, Barranca, Distracci—n, Bah’a Portete and Puerto Estrella, attended the hearing accompanied by the Embera peoples of Caldas (CRIDEC), the Mokan‡ peoples, the Kankuamos, the Cerrej—n labor union, the JosŽ Alvear Restrepo LawyersÕ Collective, Taganeros and the team from TPP of ONIC.
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In Wayœu territories, the Colombian government is supporting multinational corporation projects such as the wind-power park and Cerrej—n coal mine, among others, by displacing the Wayœu families from the beaches in Cabo de Vela where they have lived for thousands of years, relying upon tourism and fishing as their primary means of support. ÊVice President Santos and foreign investors have recovered this land in hopes of turning the natural beaches into an eccentric vacation spot. ÊÒThey want to rid us from these lands in order to make room for hotels and multinational corporations, just like what happened in Cerrej—n.Ó
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The irony is that they are exploiting the energy resources in great quantities while the indigenous peoples of these areas lack basic public services. ÊJust 15 minutes away in Media Luna there is no electricity, according to the testimony of a local community member. ÊÒWe can only watch the windmills turn and hope for the rain to fill our jugs with water for our families and animals. ÊThe Media Luna community is located in a coal unloading zone. ÊThey refused to be forced off their land and today suffer the effects with skin rashes, deafness, nutritional deficiency and restriction of movement. Meanwhile, their houses are made with scraps from the mine, since the materials they used to use to build their houses remain inside the area that was closed by the mine.Ó
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Several community members, whose skin has been noticeably weathered by the sun, stated Òwe can no longer fish the inside sea, but very close to the coast we are finding very large fishing boats that, with permission from the Colombian government, are destroying our ecosystem by taking everything and leaving our (Wayœu) community without any fish, our primary means of subsistence.
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Wayœu community leaders asserted that Òsince the mining began, the communities have lost thousands of hectares of land to the point that the Wayœu no longer have access to the river from as far as Albania because the Cerrej—n has privatized all the surrounding areas and floodplains. ÊThe provincial reservation is less than 500 meters from the mine, eating coal and sleeping with the vibrations from the nearby garbage dump and explosions. ÊA railway and a highway run through the middle of the San Francisco Reservation.
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Others pointed out that Òthe majority of the southern Guajira communities surrounded by the Cerrej—n coal mine do not even have enough land for their goats to graze on, much less to cultivate. ÊAnd if that werenÕt enough, we canÕt even visit our deceased because their cemeteries are desecrated in the midst of the Cerrej—n.
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An old man, weathered more from sadness than the inclement sun, dressed in his traditional clothing, told of Òan anthropologist who started investigating the Tabaquito community and concluded that we, the inhabitants of Tabaquito, were not Wayœu, just like everything else is being denied to us.Ó ÊAnother Wayœu leader confirmed that the mine caused the displacement of this community. ÊSince the 15 square kilometers from the border with Venezuela were purchased by the mining company and since they didnÕt want to sell, they were isolated and completely confined. ÊThe communities of Tabaco and Chancleta, among others, share the same fate due to the Cerrej—nÕs expansionist plans with consent from the Colombian government.
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ÒThe needs are great and the opportunities few,Ó explained an elderly community leader. ÊÒThe Media Luna community doesnÕt have any support. ÊWe no longer eat grilled goat but rather charcoaled goat because instead of eating food we eat ashes from the coal. ÊWe no longer die of old age; we die of weakness as they take everything and leave us with only holes and artificial lands. ÊWhat they reforest is like a soccer stadium with grass on the surface and rubble underneath. ÊAnd from the rubble nothing good ever surfaces.Ó
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Media Luna authorities said Òwe regret not speaking Spanish, because when the company arrived they said beautiful words to us and now everything is a complete disaster.Ó ÊNowadays, one canÕt fish or shepherd because there are no more animals. ÊÒIt angers us greatly picking up our childrenÕs dead bodies from alongside the train tracks. ÊIt seems a goat is worth more than a Wayœu person these days as they always respond to train accident deaths by saying it was due to carelessness on our part for not reading the warning signs. ÊAnd what are we going to read? ÊWe donÕt even understand Spanish well and now we are supposed to understand English?Ó
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ÒI was a little girl when the Cerrej—n mine came. ÊMy father was a fisherman and our area was rich in animals and fish. ÊWe were happy. ÊBut with the mining companyÕs arrival, my family started living in misery. ÊNow, we donÕt even have a traditional house. ÊWe live with scraps from the Cerrej—n mine. ÊWe make our homes from what the company throws away. We can no longer obtain yotojoro because it is all inside the mining zone. The only work to be found for the Wayœu in Media Luna is collecting coal from under the docks. ÊThe Cerrej—n is not presenting the community with sustainable solutions. ÊThe Cerrej—n is a bad neighbor!!Ó
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Members of Sincracarb—n, a Colombian coal-workersÕ union, confirm that of 3,500 coal workers, approximately 800 suffer from illnesses related to mining work. ÊAnd the Wayœu are only employed in mining clean-up jobs.
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Wayœu authorities and community members were pleased with the solidarity shown by the audience. ÒWe hope our words donÕt get carried away by the wind or dried up in the sun or scattered in the desertÉ.here, we will continue fighting against the windmills.Ó
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FOR THE SURVIVAL OF INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES: RESISTENCE & AUTONOMY!
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Contact TPP and ONIC at Tpp-indigena@onic.org.co or comunicaciones@onic.org.co