Published on Tuesday, October 13, 2009 by Agence France-Presse
Indigenous People Across Latin America Protest Spanish 'Genocide'
GUATEMALA CITY - Tens of thousands of indigenous people took to the streets across Latin America on Monday to protest the anniversary of Christopher Columbus's 1492 discovery of the Americas.
![[A Guatemalan native cries over the death of a demontrator in Guatemala City protesting against the celebration of Columbus Day, in Guatemala City, October 12]](http://www.commondreams.org/files/article_images/latam-natives-protest-spanish-conquest-s-genocide.jpg "latam-natives-protest-spanish-conquest-s-genocide.jpg")
A Guatemalan native cries over the death of a demontrator in Guatemala City protesting against the celebration of Columbus Day, in Guatemala City, October 12Columbus Day is celebrated as the Day of Hispanic Heritage in Latin America, but protesters marked the holiday as a reminder of the atrocities Spanish conquistadors wrought on indigenous people throughout the region.
In Guatemala City, 19-year-old demonstrator Imer Boror was killed and two were wounded as Maya Indians blocked entry points into the capital to protest their government's mining policies.
Protesters were marching on what they called the Day of Dignity and Resistance of the Indian People, protest leader Juana Mulul told AFP, saying the movement "is purely in defense of Mother Earth and our territory."
In a gesture toward reconciliation with indigenous groups, a special roundtable appointed by President Alvaro Colom after the incident was to meet with 14 poor farmers late Monday to discuss their demands.
Aparicio Perez of the Farmers Union Committee (CUC) said representatives would ask the government to annul mining, hydroelectric and cement concessions because "multinational companies are taking over natural resources, which have long been the source of life for rural families."
According to government statistics, 42 percent of Guatemala's 12 million inhabitants are Indians, although some groups put the figure at over 60 percent.
In southwestern Colombia, some 25,000 people set out from several towns and cities in Valle del Cauca department to protest President Alvaro Uribe's environmental policies and his alleged broken promises to their communities.
They planned to join up Friday in a larger demonstration of some 40,000 in the department's capital of Cali.
"We're demonstrating against the degradation of the planet... against President Alvaro Uribe's neglect" of indigenous communities, National Indigenous Organization of Colombia member Feliciano Valencia told reporters.
Indigenous people, who represent three percent of Colombia's 45 million inhabitants, accuse the conservative Uribe administration of failing to enact social programs and release state funds it promised indigenous communities when it came to power in 2002.
They also protested being regular targets of guerrilla, paramilitary and drug trafficking violence, despite their professed neutrality in the country's ongoing internal conflicts.
During an extraordinary session held at the National Pantheon, the Venezuelan National Assembly passed a bill proposing a "Day of Indigenous Resistance" to be held throughout South America.
National Assembly Speaker Cilia Flores hailed the event as proof lawmakers were "working with all the people and with a revolutionary government to build a new nation."
At the National Pantheon, where the remains of Venezuelan heroes are buried, dozens of indigenous representatives gathered in a demonstration organized by the ruling Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) to protest the "genocide of the (Spanish) empire" 500 years ago.
A group of indigenous people kept the Panama-Costa Rica border closed for several hours in the morning at the Sixaola border crossing and later protested in front of the Spanish embassy.
Several thousand native activists were joined by environmentalists, farmers and students for protests across Panama demanding respect for their land rights and rejecting energy projects that "do not respect the autonomy of indigenous people" and cause "forced evictions."
"The arrival of the Spaniards in the Americas in 1492 brought about the destruction of the Indian way of life and broke a series of political and economic institutions that has since driven us into poverty," said Cecilio Guerra before burning a Spanish flag close to the presidential palace.
According to Guerra, over 21 hydroelectric concessions and nine mining projects are affecting indigenous communities.
A Guatemalan native cries over the death of a demontrator in Guatemala City protesting against the celebration of Columbus Day, in Guatemala City, October 12In Guatemala City, 19-year-old demonstrator Imer Boror was killed and two were wounded as Maya Indians blocked entry points into the capital to protest their government's mining policies.
Protesters were marching on what they called the Day of Dignity and Resistance of the Indian People, protest leader Juana Mulul told AFP, saying the movement "is purely in defense of Mother Earth and our territory."
In a gesture toward reconciliation with indigenous groups, a special roundtable appointed by President Alvaro Colom after the incident was to meet with 14 poor farmers late Monday to discuss their demands.
Aparicio Perez of the Farmers Union Committee (CUC) said representatives would ask the government to annul mining, hydroelectric and cement concessions because "multinational companies are taking over natural resources, which have long been the source of life for rural families."
According to government statistics, 42 percent of Guatemala's 12 million inhabitants are Indians, although some groups put the figure at over 60 percent.
In southwestern Colombia, some 25,000 people set out from several towns and cities in Valle del Cauca department to protest President Alvaro Uribe's environmental policies and his alleged broken promises to their communities.
They planned to join up Friday in a larger demonstration of some 40,000 in the department's capital of Cali.
"We're demonstrating against the degradation of the planet... against President Alvaro Uribe's neglect" of indigenous communities, National Indigenous Organization of Colombia member Feliciano Valencia told reporters.
Indigenous people, who represent three percent of Colombia's 45 million inhabitants, accuse the conservative Uribe administration of failing to enact social programs and release state funds it promised indigenous communities when it came to power in 2002.
They also protested being regular targets of guerrilla, paramilitary and drug trafficking violence, despite their professed neutrality in the country's ongoing internal conflicts.
During an extraordinary session held at the National Pantheon, the Venezuelan National Assembly passed a bill proposing a "Day of Indigenous Resistance" to be held throughout South America.
National Assembly Speaker Cilia Flores hailed the event as proof lawmakers were "working with all the people and with a revolutionary government to build a new nation."
At the National Pantheon, where the remains of Venezuelan heroes are buried, dozens of indigenous representatives gathered in a demonstration organized by the ruling Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV) to protest the "genocide of the (Spanish) empire" 500 years ago.
A group of indigenous people kept the Panama-Costa Rica border closed for several hours in the morning at the Sixaola border crossing and later protested in front of the Spanish embassy.
Several thousand native activists were joined by environmentalists, farmers and students for protests across Panama demanding respect for their land rights and rejecting energy projects that "do not respect the autonomy of indigenous people" and cause "forced evictions."
"The arrival of the Spaniards in the Americas in 1492 brought about the destruction of the Indian way of life and broke a series of political and economic institutions that has since driven us into poverty," said Cecilio Guerra before burning a Spanish flag close to the presidential palace.
According to Guerra, over 21 hydroelectric concessions and nine mining projects are affecting indigenous communities.
11 comments:
This article is extremely ironic due to the two majority opposing views of "columbus Day" In The United States and in America. Marority of the people in America view Columbus Day as something to celebrate as well as a day to relax due to the ignorance not known about the REAL COLUMBUS. However it is the total opposite in Latin America with the indigenous people who associate this day with gloom and anger. While Americans are having a day off, The indigenous peple are fighting for their own and enviromental rights. While we're marching in a parade for celebration, They are marching in a strike for resent..
OK to read this puts a dark feeling in my heart that the ignorance of america is existing for this long. Why in the world do we acknowledge a person as a hero if that same exact person was the leader of so many killings deaths and other horrible actions. Its completely inhumane and should be recognized that we are celebrating a man of evil descent and desire. Actually i dont even want to say anymore about this article. All i can say is that i know if i was at guatemala i would be leadig that protest as we speak.
The ignorance about this holiday in american does not surprise me because the truth of Columbus is never really explored but it I find it interesting that in Latin america there are opposing views of this holiday even being acknowledged.A day in America that people are relaxing enjoying a day off from work and school people in Latin countries are fighting for their rights and beliefs, and we still celebrate belittleing their rights and beliefs.
I wish the rest of the world would look at Columbus in this perspective. If i could join an organization to explain both sides of Christopher Columbus, then i would join in a heart beat.
R.I.P to all the indigenous people who lost there live due to spanish cruellty
while some people here in America take Columbus day to relax others remember it as a cruelty that the Indiginous people would never forget because many of their people were killed.Before I use to see Columbus day as any other holiday no school! but now I understand the meaning of this day to the ones that Suffer.This has totally changed my opinion about Columbus day!
Columbus Day is really the anniversary of a genocide of Native Americans and the a new star in history that played a role in the existence of America.
While adults celebrate a day off work and students day off school Natives reminisce about Columbus's first arrival to the Americas, and it's not a nice memory it's a torturing memory that kills each native American softly. Columbus day to some it's a holiday and others don't really care but people should just know about all those Natives that died because of Columbus, they should also know that because of Columbus only a small portion of their race are alive and because of Columbus many Natives back then lost their families, kids were alone in the world no one to feed them tell them a good night story do their hair hug them when they were cold or say "i love you to them."
I find it completely sad how the government wont listen to these peoples wants and NEEDS. Its crazy actually because, how can they expect HUMAN-BEINGS to work the way they do. On the other hand, Why can't they accept the fact that what "The GREAT Founder Of The New World" tortured and killed so many natives still affects many people today. Many believe that Columbus day shouldn't be celebrated and I agree. He brought HATE to many people and made mothers and family members do the unthinkable. Who would want to celebrate that? NOBODY thats who.
"Columbus Day is celebrated as the Day of Hispanic Heritage in Latin America" i think this definition that America have in their mind have to be change. one reason because the word "celebrated" only shows the good side
of the event, which is that columbus is accredited for discovering America
( which in my opinion, i really don't find the connection between this and Hispanic Heritage). however, what i mean is that europe or spain should be the ones celebrating that columbus(one of there people) got to the americas, if they want. but for america it was not such a good thing that columbus got here, so why celebrated.
what i also got from this article is that nowadays there still some ignorance toward the "barely still living native american" who know are having more trouble in following their culture. a culture which i think is suppose to be protected.
Most people dont know what columbus day really stands for or exactly what happen, "they havent been enlightened" so what the united states have did to make columbus look like a hero is ..not good becuase itz disrespect to the indians and most of it shows how much the U.S really cares about the native american population, this why on columbus day all the kids are happy to get out of school .Thier is no where on tv does it explain the details and grapic knowlegde of what happened in that time.
If other countries knew what we knew and looked at it how we did in this class or even experienced what those tribes have been thru then ,things wouldnt be so ignored like it is now ,the 19 yr old girl killed is an example why these natives protest and strike!! to fight in what the believe and know is true
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