For as long as the State continues to abandon Awa territories, historical exclusion and violence will persist to the detriment of Awa peoples’ physical, cultural, and spiritual well-being.
On February 21, an illegal armed group that operates in La Variente – Tumaco Municipality took, detained, tortured and murdered four persons. It appeared that the four were apprehended for breaking the mobility restrictions imposed in the region by an illegal armed group. However, these attacks are not isolated events, but are part of a series of violent acts and systematic murders that have generated distress in the area.
Among the murdered is Marcos Pai, former governor of the Awa Indigenous Reserve of La Brava in Tumaco. Pai, 40 was killed by people who seek to intimidate Awa people with this kind of horrible acts and events that threaten their safety.
The recent crime proved that effective enjoyment of fundamental rights to life, integrity, mobility, and freedom are not guaranteed in their territories, and that they are highly vulnerable due to their precarious situation.
Marcos Pal leaves behind two sons, among whom is a minor, and wife. He has been providing his family their needs and has been safeguarding their shelter for over three decades while he was repeatedly subjected to attacks of invasion of lands by private companies that promote planting of oil palm, occupation by third parties, and restrictions to mobility in their territory.
Our Awa people, known in several spaces for the wide amount of legal protections such as constitutional orders and precautionary measures by the IACHR, has not managed to have the same social investment needed to cope with the hard conditions of the territory. We are still waiting for a structural solution that allows us to achieve decent living conditions that guarantees us the effective enjoyment of the rights that we, as Colombians, have.
Association of Awa Indigenous Traditional Authorities and Councils
Awa People Indigenous Unit Organization - UNIPA
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