The authorities of the native peoples of the country, who make up the National Coordinator of the Indigenous Peoples of Panama (COONAPIP), categorically denounced the lack of personal security of the highest authorities who have been brutally attacked around the MINGOB premises, when leaving the high-level national dialogue process convened by the Minister, due to pressure from the authorities.
Marcelo Guerra, President of Coonapip, said that the lack of security could jeopardize all the efforts that have been made to date to resolve the main problems affecting indigenous peoples.
“We demand seriousness from the Ministry of Government and responsibility regarding security, especially when sensitive issues are being dealt with, such as the eviction of settlers and invaders from indigenous lands, who have violated the laws of the original territories for years,” said Guerra. .
In a public statement, Coonapip states “We demand that the National Government guarantee the exercise of fundamental rights, making extreme efforts to prevent violence and clarify the events that occurred on the premises of the Ministry of Government…”.
“We demand that the Ministry of Security, the Ministry of Government and the Ombudsman’s Office clarify, identify and punish the material and intellectual authors, responsible for the brutal aggression of which the Maximum Traditional Authority of Emberá Wounaan Collective Lands was the victim”, highlights the statement.
Elibardo Membache, Chief of the Collective Land, who was attacked, said that what happened is a disastrous precedent that occurred with an indigenous authority, “not in the territories, but at the doors of the Government Ministry, which is worrying and leaves Clearly we do not have security and there is an increase in the criminalization of defenders of land rights belonging to indigenous peoples and that have been recognized as comarcas or collective lands.”
“What is reprehensible, furthermore, is that one of the caciques was detained as if he were a common criminal, despite the fact that the police units certified that he was a cacique, who was attacked by a person who defends illegal occupations,” said Membache.
“If this situation is not controlled, these acts of violence and aggression will have serious consequences in the indigenous territories and we hold the Minister of Government Janaina Tewaney and the President of the Republic Laurentino Cortizo responsible for any event that occurs with our peoples due to the manifest irresponsibility of the government authorities,” said the indigenous leaders.
The original authorities sent their message to the Minister of Government, Janaina Tewaney, stating that “we will continue with the high-level national dialogue, but we demand the security of the dialogue table and the will of the government to seek a real solution to the conflict that is putting endangers territorial security and the security of our peoples”.
