FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
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.
_________________________________
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