Urgent Action - Emergency at Indigenous Community of Tamaquitos, Colombia
Published by MAC on 2004-04-15Urgent Action - Emergency at Indigenous Community of Tamaquitos, Colombia
April 2004
Wayuu community facing extreme hardship as a result of coal mining by British-based multinationals
En Ingles y Español - Español aqui
The residents of the small Wayuu indigenous community of Tamaquitos in the Colombian department of La Guajira are facing disaster.
The expansion of Latin America’s biggest coal strip mine, El Cerrejon Norte, has swallowed up the farms on which the people worked and driven away the game animals that they hunted.
The mine is operated by Carbones del Cerrejon, a Consortium owned by British-based multinationals Anglo American and BHP Billiton together with Swiss company Glencore. According to Wayuu organisation Yanama, the companies have ignored the community and refused to negotiate with it.
In 2001, the nearby Afro-Colombian village of Tabaco was demolished by the mining company and the residents evicted. Tabaco was the main source of social and economic interaction for the 145 residents of Tamaquitos and its destruction has affected them badly. There are no remaining sources of work, nor are there zones to cultivate or to raise animals. The mine’s sterile material dump is 3 kilometres from the community. Roche, 6 kilometres away, is also in the process of being destroyed. The community is finding it more and more difficult to survive because it has no access to public transportation, education, health services, or sources of food. No government entity has a presence there. The children are suffering from hunger and malnutrition. The surrounding vegetation is contaminated with coal dust. The children suffer from respiratory problems.
The community’s demand is for relocation with compensation. They are surrounded and imprisoned by mining operations that prevent their free transit on the roads. If they do try to travel, they have to wait for a passing car from one of the few farms that remain nearby, since they can no longer walk. Trying to walk can endanger their lives, since the mine’s security prohibits travel in the area of the mining operations.
If a cow or other animal from the only four farms that have not yet been bought by the mining companies gets lost, members of the community of Tamaquitos are blamed. They are considered suspicious because they have no jobs or other source of income.
There has been no government aid because the mining companies have created bad publicity for the community as a strategy to make the community abandon the land and facilitate their removal from the area.
BACKGROUND FROM LA GUAJIRA INDIGENOUS ORGANIZATION "YANAMA"
SHORT SUMMARY
APRIL 2004
INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY OF TAMAQUITOS
"El Cerrejón" coal production zone
Department of La Guajira, Colombia
1. HISTORICAL AND GEOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND
The lands belonging to Tamaquitos are not recognized as an indigenous "resguardo" (reservation), nor as an indigenous community, in spite of the existence of an indigenous settlement there. This is because the mining companies have pressured the National Directorate of Indigenous Affairs and, on many occasions, have lied about the traditional forms of this community, in order to evade their responsibility for indemnifying and relocating its people. Yankee cynicism regarding Tamaquitos reached the point that Marcela Bravo, the Director of the Interior Ministry's Office of Indigenous Affairs, used resources from Intercor (EXXON) to commission an ethnographic study to certify the existence of this indigenous settlement. In November 2000, anthropologist Wilder Guerra completed his report, "Establishment of the Ethnic Background of the Inhabitants of the Town of Tamaquitos." When he delivered the report to Bravo, she insisted that he change its conclusions, to deny the existence of Tamaquitos, or he would not receive his payment. Since that date the mining company has had a huge influence on the decisions of the Ministry and has refused to recognize the existence of the community of Tamaquitos, in spite of the overwhelming evidence of its existence.
Yanama has continually tried to publicize this information nationally and internationally. It has circulated documents alerting the national and international communities to the machinations of the mining company and the government with respect to Tamaquitos. Yanama has also filed many complaints before the government to request protection for this fragile human group that is part of our ethnic community. Dr. Armando Pérez Araujo has also filed a judicial suit before the courts of La Guajira (Acción Popular). In this case, the government openly supported the position of the mining company, using ridiculous arguments to deny the protection that was being sought.
Tamaquitos is located on the periphery of the El Cerrejón mine, in the Municipality of Barrancas, Department of La Guajira, a few kilometres away from the now-destroyed Community of Tabaco. It contains approximately thirteen hectares. Its climate is dry tropical forest. Its population is 145 people, who reside in 43 homes. The inhabitants all belong to an extended family that is part of the Epieyu clan who have intermarried with other clans including the Pushaina, the Ipuana and the Uriana. Six members of the community are non-Wayuu who have married Wayuu women.
Tamaquitos lacks any national, departmental, or municipal governmental representation. There is no school, no electricity, no health facilities or social welfare facilities. There are no productive projects or technical agricultural assistance. Water is supplied from streams that run in the winter, and from an artesian well that is used during the (dry) summer months.
The inhabitants of Tamaquitos are connected by multiple ties of blood relationship, marriage, and residence, around the central members of the community, the brothers Manuel and José Alfonso Epieyu. These men are the focus that maintains the strength, the unity, and the identity of the corporate group.
The male population mostly worked seasonally as day labourers in the farms surrounding Tabaco (a social and economic space that has now been annihilated by the mine), Roche (which is slated to be destroyed soon), and the Serranía de Perijá in Venezuela. The progressive disappearance of the cattle ranches and farms as the mine has been expanded has diminished the possibilities for work, creating a huge uncertainty regarding the future of the community. The mining company has occupied 99% of the farms around Tamaquitos. The population has been isolated and exposed to the assaults of the multinational mining companies.
2. CURRENT SITUATION OF TAMAQUITOS
During the time that Intercor (EXXON) operated the El Cerrejón mine, it refused to recognize the existence of Tamaquitos as an indigenous community. The new owners, the Consortium of BHP Billiton, Glencore SA, and Anglo-American, have ignored the community and refused to negotiate with it.
Tamaquitos is currently isolated, since the surrounding farms have been acquired and occupied by the mining companies. The disappearance of Tabaco, which was the village's main source of social and economic interaction, has also affected Tamaquitos. There are no remaining sources of work, nor are there zones to cultivate or to raise animals. The mine's sterile material dump is 3 kilometres from the community. Roche, 6 kilometres away, is currently the village closest to Tamaquitos, and it is also in the process of being destroyed. The community is finding it more and more difficult to survive because it has no access to public transportation, education, health services, or sources of food. No government entity has a presence there. The children are suffering from hunger and malnutrition. The surrounding vegetation is contaminated with coal dust. The children suffer from respiratory problems.
Since 1980 the Wayuu people have confronted the multinational Intercor (EXXON). Today they confront the new partners that are operating the mine, BHB Billiton, GLENCORE, and ANGLOAMERICAN. These companies have systematically violated the Wayuu's territorial, economic, social and cultural rights. The multinational mining companies truly typify the crime of evil. They follow no code of conduct. They have compromised human life, nature, and all forms of life. They have transgressed the limits of tolerance and social justice. Judges, justices [in higher courts], journalists, national, departmental, and municipal government officials, and the police have bowed to the companies. The mining companies exert considerable influence in the administrative and judicial decisions related to coal mining operations. The companies have reached the point of serving the government as messengers, authors of memoranda, and spokespeople integral to the process of government manipulations against civilians in the mining areas.
3. DEMANDS OF THE COMMUNITY
The main and single demand, along with compensation, that the 145 residents of Tamaquitos have made, is for relocation. They have no wish to continue living in their current isolation. They are surrounded and imprisoned by mining operations that prevent their free transit on the roads. If they do try to travel, they have to wait for a passing car from one of the few farms that remain nearby, since they can no longer walk. Trying to walk can endanger their lives, since the mine's security prohibits travel in the area of the mining operations.
If a cow or other animal from the only four farms that have not yet been bought by the mining companies gets lost, members of the community of Tamaquitos are blamed. They are considered suspicious because they have no jobs or productive activity.
There has been no government aid because the mining companies have created bad publicity for the community as a strategy to make the community abandon the land and facilitate their removal from the area.
Right now they need:
· Food and clothing
· Health brigades, especially to attend the health needs of the children
· Accompaniment to design a project for the relocation of the community. They need professionals to help in this.
· Create and implement productive programmes that allow the community to develop an economic dynamic that will improve welfare and quality of life.
· Stimulate and consolidate the internal organizational process of the community to prevent members from being infiltrated and divided by mining company employees.
· Carry out a campaign to demand that the Colombian government relocate the community of Tamaquitos. This will require letters signed by many members of the international solidarity community, to create a consciousness of the need for an immediate solution to this problem.
· Continuing legal help in representing the community of Tamaquitos in its judicial complaints: legal actions, group actions, public tribunals, mass actions, etc. At the same time, they will need help in the hoped-for negotiation for the relocation and compensation of the community.
4. CONTENT OF THE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN
The international solidarity campaign is urgent and must include three elements:
(a) Collect urgent economic resources
· Provide food, medicine, and clothing
· Create health brigades, especially to attend the health needs of the children
· Accompaniment to design a project for the relocation of the community. They need professionals to help in this.
· Create and implement productive programs that allow the community to develop an economic dynamic that will improve welfare and quality of life.
· Stimulate and consolidate the internal organizational process of the community to prevent members from being infiltrated and divided by mining company employees.
· Provide legal help in representing the community of Tamaquitos in its judicial complaints: legal actions, group actions, public tribunals, mass actions, etc. At the same time, they will need help in the hoped-for negotiation for the relocation and compensation of the community.
(b) Carry out a strong international campaign of urgent actions to:
· Demand that the Colombian government relocate the community of Tamaquitos. This will require letters signed by many members of the international solidarity community, to create a consciousness of the need for an immediate solution to this problem.
Letters should be sent to the following:
Doctor ALVARO URIBE VELEZ
Presidente de la República de Colombia
Casa de Nariño
Santafé DE Bogotá, Colombia
Email: auribe@presidencia.gov.co
Doctor LUIS ERNESTO MEJIA
Ministro de Minas y Energía
Centro Administrativo CAN Teléfono: 091 -3245262
Santafé DE Bogotá, Colombia
Email: minas.energia@minminas.gov.co
Doctor SABAS PRETEL DE LA VEGA
Ministro de Justicia y del Interior
Carrera 8 No 8 -25 Edificio Echeverri ( Teléfono: 091 - 5629887)
Santafé DE Bogotá, Colombia
Doctor VOLMAN PEREZ
Defensor del Pueblo
Calle 55 No 10 - 32 ( Telefax: 0916915255) www.defensoria.org.co
Santafé DE Bogotá
(c) International Pressure on the Mining Companies
·International pressure against the mining companies BHP BILLITON, GLENCOR, and ANGLO AMERICAN, demanding that they change their policies with respect to the communities affected by the mines, and especially that they agree to relocate the village of Tamaquitos.
Sir Mark Moody Stuart (Chair) and Tony Trahar (Chief Executive), Anglo American plc, 20 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AN, England.Tel +44 (0)20 7698 8547 Fax +44 (0)20 7698 8637
E-mail ebickham@angloamerican.co.uk (contact details given are for Edward Bickham, Executive Vice President for External Affairs)
Don Argus (Chair) and Charles Goodyear (Chief Executive), BHP Billiton, 180 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, Victoria 3000, Australia.
Tel +61 3 9609 3333 Fax +61 3 9609 3015
OR via BHP Billiton plc, Neathouse Place, London SW1V 1BH, England.
Tel +44 (0)20 7802 4000 Fax +41 (0)20 7802 4111
E-mail Ian.B.Wood@bhpbilliton.com
The Chief Executive, GLENCORE, Baarermattstrasse 3 - CH-6341 Baar - Switzerland
Tel +41 41 709 20 00 Fax +41 41 709 30 00 Telex +41 865272
E-Mail info@glencore.com