On January 20, over 400 Embera Katío marched in Bogotá, Colombia with dozens of supporters to press the government to resume talks about compensation for the hydroelectric dam that has forever changed their ancestral lands. At least 11 different indigenous groups took part in the march, including a delegation of members of the Indigenous Guard of Cauca, a civilian self-defense group committed to non-violence.
The Embera Katío protesters have been camped out in Bogotá since December 20, demanding compliance with an April 2000 agreement on reparation for damages caused by the Urrá hydroelectric dam on the Sinú River. The funding would support economic development, education and culture.
The Embera Katío have been struggling with the consequences of the Urrá dam since it was built on their territory 10 years ago. It displaced the Embera Katío into a violent zone of ColombiaÂ’s civil conflict; they are continually threatened by murder, kidnappings, and forced military recruitment.
Urrá S.A. is a multinational company whose largest shareholder is the Colombian government. Skanska, a Swedish company, built the dam and Energomachiexport, a Russian company, provided equipment, while Nordick Investment Bank, Sweden, and Export Devleopment Bank, Canada, provided funding.
According to Unidad Indígina, Urrá S.A. violated the Colombian Constitution that guarantees indigenous groups land and autonomy and ignored their obligation to consult the Embera Katío before beginning any project in their territory. The Embera Katío want an independent environmental audit of the impacts of the dam and they request that company's license be suspended if the impacts are shown to be severe.
The Constitutional Court ruled in favor of those affected by the Urrá dam in November 1998 and March 1999, and ordered company representatives to respect the fundamental rights of the Embera Katío and help repair and rebuild their land. But Urrá S.A. has denied its responsibilities and has not taken any action to guarantee integral reparation to the Embera Katío people. According to Unidad Indígina, Urrá S.A. has undermined the decisions of Embera Katío authorities.
Five hundred and sixty two Embera Katío peacefully occupied the grounds of the Colombian Environment and Development Ministry in Bogotá in late December. Their assembly, including 162 children, was forced by a group of 200 police to leave the grounds. The police ordered them to board their buses and return to their reserves, but they refused and marched to the offices of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC), where they continue to stay. The ONIC building is surrounded by riot police.
Not equipped for housing over 500 people, the ONIC office is cramped. Recently, there has been an outbreak of chickenpox among the children and they do not have the resources to purchase diapers.
The Embera Katío are engaged in a tactic called ‘permanent assemblyÂ’ that indigenous peoples throughout Colombia frequently use. Ellen Lutz, Executive Director of Cultural Survival, who visited with the Embera Katío at the ONIC office in Bogotá said, "They are determined to remain there until the government negotiates with them."
