Indigenous Peoples Demand Stop To Armed Violence In Colombia

On Friday, thousands of Indigenous people came to Cali city in the Cauca Valley department to demand that President Ivan Duque do something to stop the armed violence that reigns in rural territories, where the Colombian State does not have an effective presence.

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They left Popayan yesterday afternoon to arrive in this city on Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, when the Indigenous communities plan to carry out various peaceful acts to demand respect for their people and lands. Among the problems that most affect them are the forced recruitment of minors and the murder of social leaders, as reported by Hernan Tobar, the correspondent for teleSUR.

“We want to send an invitation to reconciliation to the population of Cali. In our region many cultures converge and we want peace for all,” Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca (CRIC) Advisor Ancizar Marin said, adding that they ask the Duque administration to resume the Peace talks.

Previously, Cauca Valley Governador Clara Roldan asked the Defense Ministry to deploy troops to prevent acts of violence during the arrival of the Indigenous mobilization to Cali.

The tweet reads, “It is a Mestizo, Indigenous, and Afro party! It is a multicultural, multiethnic party. A party in peace with brotherhood and joy."

This request occurred because some urban sectors opposed the presence of the indigenous population in the city, arguing that social organizations generated incidents during the National strike that occurred between April and May.

In response to these criticisms, CRIC Political Commission member Dario Tote said that the mobilization only aims to denounce the violations against the rights of Indigenous peoples.

"Our march is peaceful... No blockades or activities against public order have been scheduled. We want to send a message to the country and the world: we ask them to listen to us because there is a lot of massacres in the Cauca Valley,” he said, reiterating that they are protesting the presence of any armed actor in their territories.