Indigenous Peoples in Latin America Disproportionately Endangered by Covid-19

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Latin America’s indigenous peoples are among the most vulnerable communities in the region affected by Covid-19. This requires not only a differentiated assessment of their situation but also their special protection, stresses a joint statement by the Latin American and Caribbean Indigenous Development Fund (FILAC), the Abya Yala Forum (FIAY), and the Regional Observatory of Indigenous Rights (ORDPI).

FILAC’s president, Dr. Mirna Cunningham, made it clear that the priority for indigenous peoples was to prevent infection and ensure food supplies, both of which are the responsibility of governments. The FIAY’s General Coordinator, Jesús Amadeo Martínez Guzmán, pointed out that the reason for the current crisis for indigenous peoples is the lack of support from governments.

A report published jointly by the three organizations shows that the underlying issue is the conditions faced by Latin America’s indigenous population of more than 45 million people. Malnutrition, lack of access to health services, inadequate infrastructure and the overall inability to exercise individual and collective fundamental rights, according to the report, in an extremely deplorable living condition that is frequently given little consideration by politicians. In these already adverse living conditions, the indigenous peoples are extremely vulnerable to Covid-19.

Structural factors are leaving the indigenous peoples in a state of poverty. They are 2.7 times more likely to live in extreme poverty than the non-indigenous population. Furthermore, studies show that Covid-19 has an increased impact on impoverished communities; consequently, the impact of the pandemic will be more severe for indigenous communities than for the rest of the population.

The alarming situation is further aggravated by the lack of access to water supply and the disproportionately frequent lack of access to sewage systems. Preventive measures against Covid-19 infection require hygiene practices such as regular hand washing. The mere intrusion of the virus could lead to the death of whole communities, as people’s immune systems are much more susceptible to foreign pathogens due to their common geographical isolation.

The UN Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples also confirmed the increased threat to indigenous peoples. The UN Human Rights Council body had already stated in April that the spread of Covid-19 was exacerbating an already critical situation for many indigenous peoples. Rising recession and the potential for a global economic crisis have prompted concerns that “many indigenous peoples will die, not only from the virus itself but also from the conflicts and violence associated with the scarcity of resources, particularly drinking water and food,” the statement said.

The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) has alerted to the threats faced by indigenous peoples in the Amazon, both in the big cities and in isolated communities. Access to health care is extremely difficult. “We already have 20,000 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the provinces that make up the Amazon basin”. The infection rate there tends to be twice as high as in other parts of the country. “Without immediate action, these communities will be disproportionately affected,” said Carissa Etienne, head of the PAHO. “Indigenous populations face great food insecurity, type 2 diabetes and endemic diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria are widespread,” she stressed. This increases the vulnerability of these people to Covid-19.

The consequences of the Covid-19 crisis for the indigenous peoples are particularly evident in Colombia, where more than 315,000 families are at high risk of infection. This is reported by the National Indigenous Organization (ONIC). Community leaders have now urged the Ministry of Health to address this neglect. Among other issues, they are demanding that the government provide a health plan for their peoples, training in dealing with Covid-19, field hospitals close to their territories, and hygiene measures.

In Peru, Silvio Valles Lomas, leader of the indigenous community of Shipibo-Conibo and Mayor of the Masisea district, has died of Covid-19 infection. The distinguished indigenous rights advocate died while waiting for a transfer to the hospital’s intensive care unit. According to his family, bureaucratic issues had delayed his admission to the hospital. In addition, he had not been provided with adequate medical care. Two days earlier, the government adopted a strategy to prevent and combat Covid-19 among indigenous peoples, which indigenous organizations had been calling for weeks.

The Mapuche peoples in Chile and Argentina are also facing serious threats. In April, the Chilean municipality of Futrono announced road works, which means that many workers from towns with high rates of infection will be entering the indigenous territory. According to the Mapuexpress internet website, the Mapuche, who live in the mountainous region, were forced to leave the area for fear of contagion, realizing that the local authorities were prioritizing road construction over protecting their health.