News · 1 May 2016
The Alexander von Humboldt Institute and Colciencias violate the fundamental right to prior consultation of the Inga People of Villagarzón, in Putumayo
director
Last May 21, at the Amazon Experimental Center (CEA) of CORPOAMAZONÍA in Mocoa, Putumayo, the general presentation of the project called “PRIMERA EXPEDICIÓN BILÓGICA PUTUMAYO, EXPEDICIÓN BIO” was held with the participation of Brigitte Baptiste – Director General of the Von Humboldt Institute, Sorrel Parisa Aroca – Governor of the Department of Putumayo, Janeth Giha Tovar – National Director of Colciencias, and Alexander Mejía Bustos – Director General of Corpoamazonía.
(…) At a press conference, the media were informed that the Bio Expedition in Putumayo would begin on June 1 and run until June 18 in the area from Altos del Tigre to the Quebrada Salado de los loros in Putumayo.
For Colciencias, the purpose of the project is to learn what species exist in the regions, the potential use they may have for final destinations in business production such as cosmetics and health, and, one of the most relevant, the traditional knowledge held by Indigenous communities that can be offered to the rest of the world to find cures for many diseases (…). “The goal is to describe at least 5,000 species, strengthen 20 existing biological collections in the country and expand the genetic library, documenting at least 40,000 sequences for the different taxonomic groups in the country”, Colciencias explained in a statement. (…) (source: mi putumayo.com)
For their part, the Indigenous communities of the Inga People of Villagarzón received the news with great concern, since said project will be carried out in the Ancestral Territory NUKANCHIPA ALPA AMUKUNAPA WASI VIDA MASCARIGRIDIRU, which requires guaranteeing the fundamental right to Free and Informed Prior Consultation in the terms set forth in Law 21 of 1991; consequently, the Inga People of Villagarzón state their position categorically in the following terms.
Authorities of the Inga People of Villagarzón – Photo: ACIMVIP Archive
- The Inga People of Villagarzón, native to the department of Putumayo, located in a strategic place of the Colombian Amazon, have been protectors and defenders of Mother Earth since time immemorial, in compliance with the mandates of the elders, the law of origin, own law and regulations, uses and customs and their own way of life.
- Since the time of the conquest it has been subjected to all kinds of aggression, mistreatment, discrimination and violations of human rights and IHL; today we face a process of physical and cultural extermination, institutional disrespect and abandonment, exploitation and the entry of iuras (outsiders) into our ancestral territories, fostering cultural imbalance and conflicts with peasant groups.
- In the territory NUKANCHIPA ALPA AMUKUNAPA WASI VIDA MASCARIGRIDIRU, a socioeconomic, legal and land tenure study was carried out for the constitution of the Inga Resguardo Chaluayaco, formulated by Incora in 1997, through which legal protection was obtained for part of the ancestral territory comprising the sacred sites atun uritu salado (salado de los loros), arinpajilo (filo del tigre). The State currently owes the legal protection, having denied the Indigenous territory to said community since 1997 and having facilitated the entry of oil exploration projects (bloque san juan, exploratory drilling project unicornio 1), where peasants who arrived, attracted from other departments in 2010, did not respect the warning of ACIMVIP, which stated that this ancestral territory has been used, accessed, protected and conserved by the Inga People of Villagarzón, as supported by the socioeconomic study of the Inga community of Chaluayaco, and that colonization would not be permitted because in its integrity it would guarantee the life of humanity in the present and in the future.
- Since the year 2000 the Inga People of Villagarzón have demanded legal protection of the ancestral territory called Nukanchipa Amukunapa Wasy Vida Maskarigridiru, and nevertheless the Colombian State has denied them the right to the protection and safeguarding of the territory, whose protection, conservation and care the elders have mandated since the very existence of the Inga People in Villagarzón.
- From the year 2000 onwards, the intensification of the armed conflict generated displacements and killings of leaders that caused serious setbacks in the political and organizational processes, self-government and legal protection of the territory.
- Only in 2009, when some leaders, risking their integrity, decided to resume the process, Incoder, out of ignorance and violating the rights of the Inga People of Villagarzón, awarded (3) plots to settlers, this Institution being responsible for the disharmony and lack of understanding between incoming peasants and Indigenous people and for the disregard of the rights of the Inga People of Villagarzón by awarding plots on Indigenous territory.
- In 2013 the Inga People of Villagarzón submitted a request for legal protection of the ancestral territory with an extension of 35,018 hectares, for 11 Inga communities: Chaluayaco, San Miguel de la castellana, Blasyaco, Saladilloyaco, Musu waira sacha Nukanchipa, taita kausadiru, Alpa rumiyaco, Cachiyaco andaqui, Wasipungo and selvas del putumayo, requesting the constitution and expansion of the ancestral territory called: Nukanchipa alpa amukunapa wasi, vida maskarigridiru. This territory is delimited from the dantayaco river (quebradon), covering the sacred places referenced above, the territorial zones referred to and agreed with corpoamazonia in the prior consultation process of the territorial management plan of the san juan river basin; it extends outside the plots titled to peasants up to the putumayo river, continues to the current IGAC boundary of the municipality of Santiago and Villagarzón, alensoy stream, continues from the source of the san juan river to the settlement of the alpa rumiyaco community and closes with the dantayaco river. At present, the Inga People of Villagarzón are being affected by private interests that disregard the process of constitution and expansion of the Resguardo that the Inga People of Villagarzón have been pursuing over this territory.
- By minutes of June 19, 2000: minutes complementing the prior consultation process related to the environmental territorial management plan of the san juan river basin, which established:
a). (…) The environmental authority CORPOAMAZONIA recognizes that the San Juan river basin is traditional Indigenous territory of the Inga and Awa Peoples.
b).The protective forest reserve zone proposed by CORPOAMAZONIA was declared Nukanchipa alpa amukunapa wasi vida maskarigridiru; this zone will be under the care of the Inga and Awa Indigenous Peoples.
c). No research activities will be allowed in Nukanchipa alpa amukunapa wasi.
9. CORPOAMAZONIA will carry out prior consultation with the two Indigenous communities (inga and awa) when it is going to grant permits for the use of natural resources in Ehgar Wasataz (guarded mountain). (…)
10. The peasant communities self-named bloque san juan and salado de los loros do not possess or accredit any document allowing them to claim tenure and representation over this territory, since it is of permanent use and access by the Inga People of Villagarzón, as demonstrated in the documents in the territorial defense files of the Inga People.
11. We reject the lack of due process regarding the licensing of the project “Primera expedición Bilógica Putumayo- Expedición Bio”since it does not comply with the guidelines of the international legal framework and ILO Convention 169.
12. We hold the institutions that intend to implement this initiative responsible for the intensification of social conflict, disharmony and lack of understanding between the Indigenous communities proper and native to the municipality of Villagarzón and the peasant communities that have arrived from other departments and regions to encroach on ancestral territories of use, protection and conservation of the Inga People of Villagarzón.
13. We forcefully reject the unconsulted implementation of the project “Primera expedición Bilógica Putumayo- Expedición Bio” that the Instituto Alexander Von humboldt and Colciencias would carry out in Putumayo, whose objective is to conduct genetic studies and analyses of different species in the Ancestral Territory “NUKANCHIPA ALPA AMUKUNAPA WASI VIDA MASCARIGIRIDURU”.
WE DEMAND
- That the fundamental right to free, prior and informed consultation and to the territory as a source of life be guaranteed regarding the project called: “Primera expedición bilógica putumayo,expedición bio”, a project being financed by Colciencias and the Instituto Von Humboldt and to be carried out in the ancestral territory of the Inga People of Villagarzón.
- That the mandate of the Inga People of Villagarzón contained in Resolution 002 of January 23, 2015 be respected and complied with, as it is applicable to the project being financed by Colciencias and the Instituto Von Humboldt Colombia.
- Generate a space for dialogue with the traditional authorities of the Inga People of Villagarzón, in order to establish the appropriate mechanism that guarantees due process and the fundamental right to free, prior and informed consultation.
- Immediately suspend the execution of the project: “Primera expedición bilógica putumayo, expedición bio”, until due process and the fundamental right to free and informed prior consultation are guaranteed, in accordance with Resolution 002 of January 23, 2015, issued by the traditional authorities of ACIMVIP.
WE URGE
- To the National Ombudsman's Office so that it acts as Guarantor of the fundamental rights to the territory as a source of life and the fundamental right to free, prior and informed consultation.
- To the Directorate of Prior Consultation of the Ministry of the Interior so that it carries out the appropriate procedures to guarantee the inda people of Villagarzón the fundamental right to free and informed prior consultation.
- To national and international Human Rights defense bodies so that they contribute to the defense of the rights of the Inga People of Villagarzón, at risk of physical and cultural disappearance.
- To the CDDHHPI so that they accompany and act as guarantors of said process.
- To third-level Indigenous organizations such as OZIP, OPIAC, COICA to back and support the territorial defense of the Inga People of Villgarzon Putumayo.
## The Traditional Authorities of the Inga People of the Municipality of Villagarzón
Barrio las villas calle 14D Cra 6E- Villagarzón Putumayo – Colombia – Amazon.
