ACTION ALERT

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WORLDWIDE FOREST/BIODIVERSITY CAMPAIGN NEWS

Venezuelan Amazon Indigenous Peoples Appeal for Support

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Forest Networking a Project of Ecological Enterprises

http://forests.org/

11/29/97

OVERVIEW, SOURCE & COMMENTARY by EE

The World Rainforest Movement appeals for letters of support for

indigenous peoples of Venezuela. At stake is the political

representation for the indigenous peoples of the area. Please take

the time to respond to this alert.

g.b.

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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:

Title: Venezuelan Amazon: Indigenous Peoples Appeal for Support

Source: World Rainforest Movement

Status: Distribute freely with accreditation to source

Date: November 17, 1997

/** rainfor.genera: 77.0 **/

** Topic: UA in support of Venezuela's indige **

** Written 5:30 PM Nov 17, 1997 by gn:wrm in cdp:rainfor.genera **

Subject: UA in support of Venezuela's indigenous peoples

____________________________________________________________

FOREST PEOPLES PROGRAMME

_____________________________________________________________

17 NOVEMBER 1997 URGENT ACTION:

VENEZUELAN AMAZON: INDIGENOUS PEOPLES APPEAL FOR SUPPORT

AS A SHOWDOWN APPROACHES OVER HOW INDIGENOUS TERRITORIES IN THE

VENEZUELAN AMAZON SHOULD BE ADMINISTERED, THE INDIGENOUS PEOPLES ARE

APPEALING FOR INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT TO PERSUADE THE NATIONAL

LEGISLATURE AND JUDICIARY TO UPHOLD THEIR RIGHTS.

PLEASE SEND FAXES OR LETTERS *IMMEDIATELY* SUPPORTING THE INDIGENOUS

PEOPLES TO THE NUMBERS AND ADDRESSES GIVEN BELOW.

[YOUR PREVIOUS FAXES AND LETTERS HAVE MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE TO THE

DEBATE SO PLEASE DON'T FEEL YOUR ARE WASTING YOUR TIME BY HELPING OUT

NOW.]

The following, translated from the Spanish, is an appeal sent out by

the Regional Organization of the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon

(Venezuela) (ORPIA) and the Human Rights Office in Puerto Ayacucho.

..................

Subject: Imminent Approval of a New Law for the Political Division of

the Territory of the State of Amazonas (Venezuela) by the State

Legislative Assembly. November 1997.

Background:

In 1995, the 19 indigenous peoples of the Venezuelan Amazon, through

the Regional Organisation of the Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon

(ORPIA) and other indigenous organizations, filed an appeal before the

Supreme Court of Justice for the declaration as null and void the Law

for the Political Division of the Territory of the State of Amazonas,

on the grounds that it violated the indigenous peoples' constitutional

and legal rights. In December of 1996, the Supreme Court found in

favour of the indigenous peoples, annulled the law and ordered the

Legislative Assembly to draft a new law which guaranteed the right of

the indigenous peoples and communities of Amazonas to political

participation. In February 1997, the indigenous peoples held their own

Congress to discuss the Political Division of the Territory and passed

their proposals to the Legislative Assembly.

Since the Court's judgement, the Legislative Assembly has used various

means to evade the requirements of the Court and in November 1997 has

given initial approval after a first reading to a draft law that does

not take into account the indigenous peoples' proposals, that again

violates their right to political participation and that fails to

recognise the rights of the indigenous peoples who make up more than

half the total population of the State.

The Indigenous Proposal:

The indigenous organisations have elaborated a draft law on the basis

of detailed discussions with the different ethnic groups and

communities, which proposes the establishment of 8 Municipalities in

which their rights to political participation will be respected and

which guarantees the application of the system of exception ('regimen

de excepcion') set out in Article 77 of the Constituton. The draft

asserts the principles of participation by the communities in local

affairs, decentralization of resources and respect for the territories

occupied by the indigenous peoples. In the same way, the draft

proposes a special system for the functioning of the municipal

government in the Yanomami area.

Recommended Action:

Please send faxes or urgent letters in Spanish or your own language:

- Expressing concern for the fact that the Legislative Assembly of the

State of Amazonas has not taken into accont the indigenous peoples'

proposals for the political division of the territory of the State.

- Asking that the rights of the indigenous peoples are respected in

the new law for the Political Division of the Territory of the State

of Amazonas in accordance with the instruction of the Supreme Court of

Justice.

- Urging that the Legislative Assembly considers approving the

proposals presented in the draft law for the Political Division of the

Territory of the State of Amazonas made by the indigenous peoples and

communities.

Send them to:

1. Dip. Humberto Raidan

President y demas miembros de la

Asamblea Legislative del Estado Amazonas

Av. Aguerrevere, Puerto Ayacucho,

Estado Amazonas, Venezuela.

Telefax: + 58 48 212 455 or + 58 48 213 855

2. Sr. Bernabe Gutierrez Parra

Gobernador del Estado Amazonas

Av, Rio Negro, Puerto Ayacucho,

Estado Amazonas, Venezuela.

Fax: + 58 48 210 371

3. Dr. Alfredo Ducharme

Magistrado Ponente

Corte Suprema de Justicia

Av. Baralt, San Jose del Avila,

Caracas, Venezuela

Fax: + 58 2 562 8113

Please send copies to:

Luis Bello and Guillermo Guevara

Oficina de Derechos Humanos/ ORPIA

c/o Vicariato Apostolico

Puerto Ayacucho, Estado Amazonas,

Venezuela

Fax: + 58 48 211 545

.................

Additional background information from the Forest Peoples Programme:

The Law imposing the division of the Amazon State into 'municipios',

each with an elected mayor, and each in turn divided into a number of

'parroquias' with their respective elected heads was passed in

December 1993. Despite indigenous appeals not to apply the law and

their taking the case to the Supreme Court, the imposed structure

accompanied by lavish budgets was established in 1995. The

institutional arrangements do not correspond with indigenous

traditional systems for decision-making and their imposition on the

State has created a number of very serious problems which have

severely disrupted the life of the indigenous peoples of the State.

Notable problems include:

1. Many of the indigenous people, particularly women and remote

groups, lack identity cards and have, thereby, been disenfranchised.

2. Accusations of vote rigging and the intimidation of candidates

and voters are rife.

3. Party politics has been introduced into the communities

causing divisions.

4. Clientelistic relations have been established and reinforced

throughout the territory.

5. Urban domination of rural communities has been reinforced.

6. Dominant communities and ethnic groups have secured their

authority over smaller and politically marginal ones. In particular,

'criollos' have come to dominate indigenous peoples.

7. The provisions of generous salaries, benefits and positions of

power for office holders has hastened the emergence of an indigenous

elite and accelerated the trend towards individualist profit seeking.

8. Indigenous leaders who have joined the political parties to

gain office as mayors have been corrupted. Currently one indigenous

mayor is in hiding as he and his staff face charges of serious

embezzlement and financial mismanagement.

8. The boundaries of the 'municipios' and 'parroquias' do not

conform to indigenous polities or ethnic boundaries. This has led to

further divisions.

9. Concern has been raised that the new mayors will authorise the

redefinition of lands as 'ejidos municipales' creating further

obstacles to the titling of indigenous lands.

The indigenous proposals would redefine the boundaries and

administrative centres of the 'municipios' and 'parroquias' to accord

more closely with indigenous realities, make voting procedures for

electing leaders much more transparent, and ensure that the elected

leaders were subject to much greater scrutiny and control by other

community representatives. These proposals are being resisted by State

politicians, most of whom are non- indigenous, as they will lessen

their influence in indigenous areas and weaken their control of the

electorates.

For more information contact:

Forest Peoples Programme, 1c Fosseway Business Centre, Stratford Road,

Moreton-in-Marsh, GL56 9NQ, England.

Tel:01608 652893 Fax: +44 1608 652878 email:wrm@gn.apc.org

_____________________________________________________________

Forest Peoples Programme / World Rainforest Movement (UK Office)

1c Fosseway Business Center, Stratford Road, Moreton in Marsh, GL56

9NQ, UK

Tel: 44 (0)i608 652893 Fax: 44 (0) 1608 652878 Email:

wrm@gn.apc.org

The World Rainforest Movement's International Secretariat is at:

Casilla de Correo 1539, Montevideo, Uruguay

Tel: 598 2 496192 Fax: 598 2 419222 Email: rcarrere@chasque.apc.org

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