UN warns Indigenous groups face extinction in Colombia

In Colombia, the United Nations human rights office recently reported severe threats to five Indigenous groups in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountain range. These communities are experiencing a critical risk of physical and cultural extinction, primarily due to violence from armed groups competing for control over their lands. Scott Campbell, the UN's representative for human rights in Colombia, emphasized that the plight of these communities, which includes Kogui, Wiwa, Kankuamo, Arhuaco, and Ette Naka groups, is an ongoing tragedy that must be addressed. Their combined population is approximately 54,700 people. The report followed a visit by UN officials to the Sierra Nevada region, where they engaged with representatives of the Indigenous tribes and observed the harsh realities faced by these communities. Non-state armed groups are imposing curfews, disrupting local governance, and causing severe emotional and territorial distress among the community members. This situation is further compounded by past attacks from settlers and ongoing violence from various armed factions, ensuing a crisis that threatens their very existence. In 2022, UNESCO recognized the ancestral knowledge of these Indigenous groups as part of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, highlighting their important role in the ecological and cultural sustainability of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, a dramatic mountain range emerging from the Caribbean Sea. However, for many years, these groups have endured aggressions, and the precariousness of their situation has escalated due to increased encounters with rebel groups since the peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia in 2016. The uprising of these groups to take control of areas once dominated by the guerilla prompted violence against Indigenous communities and displaced many of them. Colombia’s government has struggled to maintain stability, especially in rural territories where drug trafficking and armed conflict are rampant. President Gustavo Petro’s administration has initiated peace talks with remaining rebel factions, but the progress has been minimal. Campbell insists that protecting the Indigenous communities requires more than military intervention; the government must also focus on providing essential services such as healthcare, education, and viable employment opportunities. Addressing the fundamental dispute over power dynamics, drug routes, and economic engagement of non-state armed factions is crucial to protect the Indigenous peoples’ rights and preserve their cultural heritage.