Central and South America

One of the largest indigenous organizations in South America, Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations from the Brazilian Amazon (COIAB), has for the first time in its history, elected an indigenous woman to serve in its top post.

The Organization of American States (OAS) is a regional intergovernmental human rights organization of 35 member countries of the Americas including the United States. Since 1989, the OAS has worked to develop and negotiate with indigenous peoples a draft American Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. Work on the text of the Declaration is likely to be completed in early 2016.

In February 2015, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights transferred Agua Caliente’s petition to Guatemala, formally launching the first phase of the procedure.

A wind farm company, partially funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), has decided to relocate its project that would have negatively impacted seven indigenous communities in Oaxaca, Mexico. 

The decision comes after an IDB review panel agreed to investigate a claim filed by the Center that the land rights of seven communities were being violated by the project.

A massive wind farm project, partially funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), is under investigation by the IDB’s Panel of Investigators for negatively impacting seven indigenous communities in Oaxaca, Mexico. The Center is providing legal assistance to the communities to ensure that there is an independent investigation of the project and that their concerns are properly addressed by the IDB’s Board of Directors.

A delegation of leaders from Agua Caliente, a Maya Q’eqchi’ community in Guatemala, worked with the Center’s Washington, D.C. office in March to raise international awareness about a nickel mine that threatens to destroy their homelands.

Mining in indigenous territories is a heated topic, even deadly, in Guatemala. For more than seven years, the Center has been supporting the efforts of the Maya Q’eqchi’ community of Agua Caliente to protect their land and resource rights and bring a halt to plans for mining in their lands and territory.

Securing an approach to development which respects the rights and protects the livelihoods of the world’s indigenous peoples is one of the Center’s core goals. In March, Washington Office Director Armstrong Wiggins and staff members Gretchen Gordon and Karla General joined with indigenous peoples’ organizations at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) to advocate for indigenous rights protections.

Along the banks of the Utuquinia River in Peru sits the Flor de Ucayali Community. The only way in and out of this 20 family settlement is by boat. Debora Bardoles Guimaraes, member of the Flor de Ucayali Community: "For the moment we are in tranquility in our community, we are organized."

December 30, 2010 -- Violence on Rapa Nui Island, also known as "Easter Island," continues to escalate.

December 15, 2010 -- Wiggings asks for help to put international pressure on the Government of Chile to resolve the conflict peacefully through the Inter-American system.  American Indian leaders, community leaders and individuals concerned about the violation of collective human rights should contact Chilean authorities, and also ask the White House and the State Department to take a stand against these violent evictions.

Footage from evictions on Rapa Nui

The expansion of mining operations in the Andean Region of South America are threatening the very existence of several indigenous communities in Peru, Columbia and Bolivia. 

Juanita Cabrera-Lopez, Indian Law Resource Center Program Assistant in our Washington, D.C. office, reflects on the 13th anniversary of the signing of the Peace Accords in Guatemala. Juanita is Maya Mam and was born in Guatemala.

Guatemala debe abstenerse de revivir memorias de la violenta historia de opresión y violencia estatal en la cual se vieron sumergidos los pueblos indígenas. (AP Photo)