Buenaventura Statement: Indigenous And Afro-Colombian Statement On Pacific Territory In Colombia  http://xr.com/7aci

Afro-Colombians and indigenous peoples of the territory-Pacific region and their grassroots organizations, declare emergency of our communities because of ecocide that has been perpetrated against our forests, rivers and mangroves, impoverishing the diversity of life, contributing to the extinction of many animal and plant species, uprooted from our ancestral lands and putting our communities at the edge of ethnocide.

With the Social Emergency convened today, we are calling all our brothers in the Colombian Pacific, the black and indigenous organizations, friends of the diversity of life and culture, scientists, scholars and lovers of this rich and generous region. In order to call all those who value diversity, to react against very serious violations that occur in all these areas, especially those that are privately owned collectively by the indigenous and black: 

1. Gold mining. The gold mining is overflowing in Zaragoza (Dagua River), with irreversible damage to the environment and ecosystems downstream and highly detrimental to the black communities and indigenous communities of the Middle and Lower Dagua. There about 300 bulldozers working day and night, turning the bed and changing the river's course. This situation has been tolerated and even allowed by local public authorities, regional and national. This mining is spreading like a cancer to other rivers of the Pacific. 

2. Fumigation equally affecting coca crops and crops' basic foodstuffs. " They fail to control the production of coca paste, but if you contaminate soil and water, and settled the genetic base of crops and biodiversity. Worse, violate the rights to food, health and the environment healthy. 

3. The laissez-faire environmental authorities and in particular the CVC (Corporación Autónoma Regional del Valle del Cauca) against attacks upon the nature, enlarge this picture of our peoples grievances. The aforementioned mining, commercial-scale mangrove, the tomb illegal and naidí milpesos palm, the oil spill at Bahia Malaga and dumping of wastes into rivers and the sea, should be checked urgently. The Judicial and Land Office and the Ministry of Environment, should also take emergency and act now.