GUARANI PEOPLE OF ARGENTINA TO MARCH AGAINST APARTHEID
On September 15th, 1993, some 400 Guarani men, women, and children will leave
their villages and begin a nearly 300-kilometer march to Posadas, the capitol
of the province of Misiones, in northern Argentina. When they arrive, they
will set up camp in the Plaza 9 de Julio, in front of the main government
building, and begin a hunger strike. They plan to remain there until the
government repeals Law 2727, which institutes a system of apartheid, and is
being used to fracture the Guarani culture and destroy the unique rainforest
ecosystem in which they live.
There are approximately 6,000 Guarani people living in the province of
Misiones. Despite heavy pressure by the enveloping society, they have
maintained their traditional political, economic, cultural, and social
systems. Since the 1980's, the government of Misiones has steadily
intensified the exploitation of natural resources on Guarani territories; with
logging, mining, tourism and the construction of hydroelectric dams. The land
that the Guarani depend on for food, shelter and medicine is being destroyed
at an alarming rate. This has produced a dramatic rise in child malnutrition
and outbreaks of non-native illnesses to which they have no immunity.
In an effort to defend their territories and their culture, the Guarani have
been urging the government to recognize their rights as indigenous peoples,
and develop their lands in a rational and sustainable manner. In 1986,
indigenous leaders proposed the sanction of a law (Law 2435) that would
recognize the land rights of the Guarani and give them a degree of autonomy
and self-determination within Argentina.
In June 1987, in a progressive act of legislation, Law 2435 was sanctioned by
the Parliament of Misiones. But lamentably, 7 months later, there was a change
in the political authorities in Misiones. The new Governor, Dr. Julio Humada,
acting solely on behalf of business interests, immediately deregulated Law
2435, and in June 1988 stopped all emergency assistance to Guarani communities.
As a result, over 35 children and several elders died of malnutrition. In
December 1988, the Parliament of Misiones passed Law 2727, or the 'New Law of
Aborigines', which put all Guarani communities under direct control of the
state, without respect for their traditional social structures. It is the
politic of apartheid.
For the Guarani, Law 2727 has meant deforestation, colonization, violence,
displacement, poverty, malnutrition, and disease. Although the situation has
recently been denounced at The United Nations, and in the European Parliament,
the government of Misiones continues to destroy the Guarani, and force them
off their ancestral lands. Logging companies are encouraged to illegally
clear-cut Guarani territories, communities have been burned to the ground, and
communal gardens are being destroyed. Those who try to speak out against this
violence are threatened, beaten, or illegally jailed. At present, an outbreak
of tuberculosis is sweeping through several Guarani communities; at least 19
children have died. In spite of appeals made by Guarani leaders to the
governmental authorities- the provincial government of Misiones, the Ministry
of Public Health, and the Office of Guarani Affairs- medical assistance has
been denied. (As one functionary pejoratively noted: "Those who have died
are only Indians").
Feeling that they have exhausted the possibility of a negotiated settlement,
and fearing for their future, the Guarani have decided to march on the
capital. It is critical that the international community bear witness to this
march, as death threats have been issued against Guarani leaders.
International attention will pressure the Argentinean government to repeal Law
2727 and restore Law 2435, ensuring the Guarani's human rights, and the
protection of their rainforest from exploitation and destruction.
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Campaign assistance requested, in the form of publicity, petition-distribution,
fundraising, and observers.
For more information, contact
e-mail: Brian Keane, Rainforest Defense Fund
mzurkow@igc.apc.org
tel/fax: (508) 229-2660