President Petro to Meet With Indigenous Peoples in Cauca Valley

On Wednesday, Colombia's President Gustavo Petro will participate in the closing day of the "Political and Cultural Minga for the Defense of Life, Territory and Peace," a massive assembly which is taking place in the territory of the Kwet Kina people in the Cauca valley.

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During his stay in the Caldono municipality, Petro will listen to the proposals of the traditional authorities and the population and will intervene in the plenary session of the minga.

He will also receive the traditional symbols of the Indigenous peoples from the Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca (CRIC), one of the social organizations with which the Colombian Presidency is working to achieve "total peace" in the country.

Local population is very interested in hearing the statement of the national government in the face of the complex situation in the Cauca Valley, where the murder of social leaders and environmental activists occurs almost every day.

Given the violent conditions prevailing in the region, the CRIC and the communities organized a special "Indigenous Guard" to strengthen the security of President Petro and his officials.

Usually, the "Political and Cultural Minga" meets for three days in which the Indigenous leaders debate crucial problems for the communities, the urban poor, the farmers, and the Black people residing in the Cauca valley.

This Colombian region has traditionally been the scene of operations for irregular armed groups that are related to drug trafficking activities. Among them are the far-right paramilitary gangs, which are in charge of intimidating farmers and dispossessing them of their lands.