Coronavirus and Violence: Plight of Indigenous People in Colombia

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Although the country’s urban centers have so far been most affected, fears of an uncontrolled spread of the virus are also growing in the peripheral regions where many indigenous peoples live.

While the coronavirus crisis is holding the whole of Latin America hostage, the virus is not the only threat to indigenous groups. “We are calling on the competent authorities to provide food, drinking water and the required resources to implement quarantine measures,” the ONIC said in a formal statement on Wednesday.

It also calls for extensive testing and warns of the massive impact of the pandemic, including in rural areas, which has simply been deferred. Early action is therefore now needed to prevent “irreparable damage to the indigenous population”.

According to the Constitution, indigenous groups in Colombia enjoy special autonomy rights. Accordingly, the NGO expresses its concern over the lack of cooperation between the authorities and the indigenous administration, which has warned of massive logistical shortcomings.

According to reports from ONIC, there is already an imminent threat to almost 200,000 families living near urban centers affected by the virus.

However, the Ministry of the Interior reported that there will be no direct deliveries of aid to the indigenous self-governing structures.

A particular threat is posed to Wayuu tribes in the department of La Guajira on the Caribbean coast.

As a result of climate change, the region is suffering from water shortages and is currently experiencing one of the worst droughts in its history. In parallel, four small towns are already reporting the first cases of coronavirus.

“Currently, all these problems are converging: the drought, climate change, the pandemic, the decline in tourism and even the political conflict between Venezuela, the United States and Colombia, because we are in a border area,” explains Gustabo Valbueno, member of the Wayuu Self-governing Council.

In this situation, quarantine and compliance with hygiene standards become an enormous challenge.

In the Chocó department, between the Caribbean and the Pacific, the increased activity of armed groups is a further cause for concern. Displacements occurred in this area on Wednesday. The ONIC is also alarmed by this situation.

According to reports, other communities have been the victims of acts of sabotage. Their boats were deliberately disabled. Human rights organizations and authorities were called to provide humanitarian aid.