1 12 1 https://www.abyayalanews.org/files/original/dc1ed82ddcbe1ca07bb9332d9aaddfd7.pdf d6a25b1d5d27cf060042a5433b5aa6a0 PDF Text Text 1000 INDIANS MARCH TO PROTEST ARMY'S KILLING OF COMMUNITY LEADERS (Colombia) last November the principal Indian leader of the Arhuaoo lndlans, Luis Napolc6n Torres, his brother, Angel Maria Torres, and another Arhuaoo, Hugues Chaparro were travelling by bus from the local city ol Valleclupar, the Colombian capital of Bogotll. They were going to protest to government authorities about anny and police harassment of their communities. At a stop along the way, ncar the town of Curumani, soldiers forced the three off the bus and took them away. The bus driver reported this to the local police but they appear to have done little o r nothing. Two weeks later the Indians' bodies were discovered in three different places- all had been severely tortured. About a thousand Indians later marched to Valleclupar in protest and to take the bodies bad< to the mountains for traditional funeral rites. Two of the dead were traditionalmmno (shamans) and all were highly respected Indian leaders. On the same day as the three leaders disappeared, another Arhuaoo, Vicente Villafafle, and his brother had their house searched for anns- none were found. They were taken to the army base in Valledupar where they were beaten and tortured. Two days later, November 30th, one of Gran Chaco Indigenous Peoples Call for Land Commission (Bolivia) Indigenous peoples of the Gran Chaco region of the Bolivian Amazon have requested the Bolivian government to establish a commission to deman:ate their territory. In an open letter to President Jaime Paz Zamora, the Mataoo and Tapiet~ peoples, who live on the banks of the Plloornayu River, Informed the President that they conducted a general assembly last November (1990) in Villamontes. At the end of the gathering. they issued a resolution calling on the President to take immediate measures to halt the injustices and abuses they are suffering at the hands of colonists. The resolution denounces the " ... total paralysis of our attempts to acquine property rights and land tiUes, a process that has been dctained by the National Agrarian Reform. We demand to be treated the same way as our Sirion6 brothels and sisters at lbiato. The Sirion6 have been able to press for the approval ol Supreme Decree# 22609 which declares as 'indigenous territory' the lands they inhabit." Indigenous peoples of the Gran Chaco explain Vol6 Nos 1&2 them was taken by army helicopter to the Indian community of Vlndivameina (Santo Domingo) where soldjers searched houses, shot their rilles into the air, and stole food from the school and equipment from the health post. The Colombian army views all peasant and Indian communities as potential guerrilla collaborators. In other areas of Colo mbia, guerrillas themselves have killed Indian leaders who refuse to affiliate with their particular antigovernment group of which there are several. In many areas the Indians suffer at the hands of both the rebel and government forces. A Colombian court has begun an investigation into the killings but this is unlikely to bring any results without a show of support for the Indians and protests at the violations of their rights. Please write to the President of Colombia, protesting the army's killing and torture of lndlan people. Senor Presidente Dr Cesar Goviria, Presidente de lo Republica Coso de Noriiio, Carrero 8 No 7-26 Bogot6, COlOMBIA \,~·-:........ -' . that the agrarian reform paper work has been suspended. They arc accusing the government of stalling the approval of previous documents. The Mataco and Tapiet~ said that in July of 1980, agrarian reform officers instructed them to proceed with the land tiUe paper work and that native authorities visited the Indian commu.nities to explain the objectives. With economic aid from the Swedish Mission in Bolivia, along with the approval ol the agrarian reform officers, they Initiated the paper work along legal path$. They paid the required fees to the local judge Hilda Palavlsino, a SECretary, and a land surveyor. The local judge is now advising cattle ra.nchers and pits them against the Indians. She has been responsible for the legal curtailment of paper worlc that was to benefit the Mataco. In the meantime, the Mataco and Tapiet~ say that the governmental commission must be formed by the Ministry of Peasant Affairs, the Indigenist Institute, CIOOB (Indigenous Confederation of Eastern Bolivia) and representatives of the Mataco and Tapict~. They warn against colonizers encroaching on their lands. They also denounce Judge Hilda Palavlsino for bias towards catUe ranchers because of her friendship and familial ties. "'four petition falls through, and is not resolved favorably and immediately, the Indigenous Peoples of the Gran Chaco will adopt other de facto measures," they warn. 19 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Vol. 6, nos. 1&amp;2 (spring/summer 1991) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Gran Chaco Indigenous People Call For Land Commission Type The nature or genre of the resource Journal Article Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource Summer 1991 Language A language of the resource English English Zotero Title Gran Chaco Indigenous People Call For Land Commission Item Type Journal Article Volume 6 Issue 1,2 Pages 19 Publication Title Abya Yala News: Journal of the South and Meso American Indian Rights Center (SAIIC) ISSN 1071-3182 Date Summer 1991 Language English Abstract Note Amazon peoples in Bolivia want a land commission. Attachment Title abyayala_v06n01_02_p019.pdf Attachment URL [No URL] Bolivia Bolivian Amazon Gran Chaco