A dramatic call to defend the TIPNIS

National Encounter denounces tnat the Goverment “has lost respect for indigenous territories exposing them to the interests of transnational capital and other social sectors".

Servindi, august 16, 2017.- A dramatic call to defend the Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory (TIPNIS, in Spanish), made the first National Encounter in Defense of TIPNIS, which took place on august 11 in the city of Trinidad, Bolivia.

The pronouncement seeks the world knows the rejection to the enactment of Law 266 revoking Law 180 TIPNIS protection “in direct affront and disrespect to the Indigenous Peoples of the TIPNIS territory”.

The document denounces that the Government “has lost respect for indigenous territories exposing them to the interests of transnational capital and other social sectors, jeopardizing the social and cultural existence and continuity of indigenous peoples”.

The encounter was called by the Central of Beni Ethnic Peoples (CPEM-B), the Subcentral TIPNIS, representatives of Indigenous organizations, historic leaders of the indigenous movement, the Permanent Assembly of Human Rights, human rights defenders and other sectors of civil society.

Read the whole document below:

PUBLIC PRONOUNCEMENT OF THE FIRST NATIONAL ENCOUNTER IN DEFENCE OF TIPNIS

To our brothers Benianos, Bolivians and to THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

PRONOUNCEMENT of the emergency meeting in the city of Trinidad, on August 11, 2017 called by the Central of Beni Ethnic Peoples (CPEM-B), the Subcentral TIPNIS, representatives of Indigenous organizations, historic leaders of the indigenous movement, the Permanent Assembly of Human Rights, human rights defenders and other sectors of civil society, to define a national strategy for the defence of TIPNIS, the rights of indigenous peoples, mother earth and life. After wide analysis and deliberation on this situation:

1. DENOUNCEMENT; The decline in human rights imply by the enactment of Law No. 280 "Protection, integral and sustainable development of the TIPNIS". As it constitutes a norm that violates human rights it cannot be part of the Constitutionality Block. Such Law does not protect the indigenous territory as it promotes a predatory use of natural resources and places at risk the existence of indigenous peoples and all type of life in this territory.

2.REPUDIATION; The fact of extortion, bribery, inducement at the headship of the Senise Governor in the TIM and TIMI indigenous territories, who is using public resources to provoke the weakening of our organic structure, division and confrontation among indigenous brothers.

3. We greet and congratulate the Bolivian people, who in the nine departments have expressed their support and solidarity with the just cause that we embrace. In this sense they have our recognition to continue with the defence of our rights, encompassing us in a single social alliance and

4. We warn that if the promulgation of the aforementioned Law is consummated, we will convoke a Second National Meeting to articulate a single strategy in defence of TIPNIS, El Bala and Chepete, Tariquía, Bosque Tsimane, Rositas and other assaults on Mother Earth.

5. The design of the road that crosses the heart of the TPNIS does not favour the riparian communities because its proposed trace goes far from those. This is a clear example that the road is aimed at favouring interests of other sectors, at the expense of the outrage and plundering of the indigenous peoples of this territory.

6 The government has lost respect for indigenous territories exposing them to the interests of transnational capital and other social sectors, jeopardizing the social and cultural existence and continuity of indigenous peoples.

7. Not only that the territories are not respected, we are being repressed when we defend our rights, such is the case of Chaparina leaders, which remains unpunished and the direct authors instead of being sanctioned in a exemplary way are priced with job positions and other benefits.

8. Institutions such as the Ombudsman, called to defend human rights, the rights of the people in the face of this kind of state outrage, have acted biased without any dissimulation with respect to the destruction of the National Park. By deliberately supporting the obliteration of its territorial intangibility, seriously jeopardizing the lives of our peoples, are taking away our great house and delivering our territories, in practice, to third parties and transnational corporations through initiatives such as the damn law and other provisions that dismantle the protection and defence of our mother earth.

For all exposed before we have determined:

FIRST. To summon all social sectors, urban, rural, male and female of the Bolivian people to join in and reinforce the vigil that we have installed in the main square of the city of the Holy Trinity, Beni, to make known to the whole world our rejection to the promulgation of Law No. 266 revoking Law No. 180 TIPNIS protection, in direct affront and disrespect to the Indigenous Peoples of the TIPNIS territory.

SECOND. Articulate a single strategy of legal defence with the different groups' commissions of each department to initiate joint legal actions at national and international level.

THIRD. Request to the national and international human rights bodies an immediate audit of the alleged consultation carried out by the national government in 2012.

FOURTH. Propose the realization of a National Referendum to decide on policies that attack mother earth, such as Chinese investment, the Law of Coca, hydroelectric dams and other mega works that harm life.

FITH. Assume the defence of our territory at community level preserving actions of resistance whose consequences will be solely the responsibility of the national government.

SIXTH. Demand that our right to self-determination be respected as recognized by the Political Constitution of the State.

Because the rivers are our means of transportation the road will not pass through the TIPNIS!