Globalize resistance, say indigenous peoples at peasants of Americas in Caracas meet

["Fred Feldman" <ffeldman@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Indigenous Peoples and Peasants of the Americas Promise to Globalize
Resistance

Thursday, Oct 16, 2003  Print format

By: Venpress and Venezuelanalysis.com

?Let?s Globalize the Struggle! Let?s Globalize Hope!? is the slogan of
the first International Encounter of Resistance and Solidarity of
Indigenous and Peasant Peoples held in Caracas from October 11 to 14.
Over a thousand representatives from over 20 countries of both North
and South America and the Caribbean attended the four-day event of
speeches and workshops.

President Hugo Chavez inaugurated the event saying, ?today we will not
give honors to Columbus, today we give honors to our indigenous
peoples who heroically resisted being trampled upon. As Latin
Americans we do not need to give honor nor tribute to Christopher
Columbus. Christopher Columbus was the spear head of the invasion and
the greatest genocide in recorded history of the people.?

Among the groups in attendance at the encounter were: Vía Campesina
from Honduras; the Landless Movement (Movimiento Los Sin Tierras) from
Brazil; the confederation of Indigenous Nationalities from Ecuador
(Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas de Ecuador); the National
Indigenous and Peasant Coordination from Guatemala (Coordinadora
Nacional Indígena y Campesina); the Movement towards Socialism from
Bolivia (Movimiento Al Socialismo); plus numerous Venezuelan
organizations, such as the National Indian Council (Consejo Nacional
Indio); the National Agrarian Coordination Ezequiel Zamora
(Coordinadora Agraria Nacional Ezequiel Zamora) and the Bolivarian
Forum of the Americas (Foro Bolivariano de las Américas).

The purpose of the meeting was to celebrate the unity of indigenous
peoples and of peasants and to support the Venezuelan process and the
agrarian transformation in the country.

Rafael Alegria, the leader of Via Campesina, from Honduras, said,
?Venezuela is the only country of the Americas to have designated
October 12th as the day of indigenous resistance and for this reason
it deserves the recognition of all international indigenous
organizations.? Also, Alegria added, Venezuela deserves recognition
for being the only country in which there is a true agrarian
revolution. Nearly 2 million hectares of land have been transferred to
peasants in the past year.

One of Venezuela?s most important indigenous leaders, Noeli Pocaterra,
who is also a representative in Venezuela?s National Assembly and the
second vice-president of the assembly said that the Venezuelan process
has given dignity back to the indigenous peoples of Venezuela.
According to her, ?We have been here on this land before anyone else
and after many years we were made to feel like strangers in our own
land. With out incorporation into the constitution we have achieved
that the indigenous peoples are not seen as a folkloric issue or as
stone statues (?convidados de piedra?).

President Chavez? weekly television program, Alo Presidente, was
devoted to the international encounter of indigenous peoples and
campesinos. In the course of the program Chavez announced that he
named a new presidential commission, Mision Guaicaipuro, which would
guarantee the implementation of the rights of Venezuela?s indigenous
peoples. Among other things, it would demarcate the land of the
indigenous population. It will be headed by the minister of the
environment, Ana Maria Osorio.

Chavez also read from the literacy campaign textbooks, Mision
Robinson, written in several of the different indigenous languages ?
more than a million people have so far benefited from the program
after only three months of its existence ? also, the mission Sucre
will prioritize the poor and indigenous populations, giving 100
thousand scholarships of $100 per month.

Finally, Chavez also announced the creation of indigenous ?micro
credit banks?. Isa Sierra of Fondo de Desarrollo Microfinanciero
(Fondemi) followed up this proposal the next day, saying that 33 such
banks would be created with 10,000 million bolivares by the end of the
year. The loans they provide would be at an interest rate of 1%.

The encounter concluded with a statement in solidarity with the
indigenous people of Bolivia, which also denounced the repression by
the neoliberal government, in which more than 80 people have died in
the last days.


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