Pachamama protests

Pachamama protests
Title	Pachamama protests
Date	2000s–2020s
Place	Andes, Amazon, Buenos Aires, La Paz, Quito, Lima, Bogotá, Santiago
Causes	Indigenous rights, land rights, extractive industries, environmental protection, cultural heritage
Methods	marches, blockades, occupations, ceremonies, litigation

Pachamama protests are a series of mobilizations and demonstrations across South America and beyond, centered on indigenous Andes and Amazon concerns, cultural recognition, land claims, and opposition to extractivism. Emerging in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, these actions have intersected with major political events involving Evo Morales, Rafael Correa, Alejandro Toledo, Alan García, Lenín Moreno, Iván Duque, María Eugenia Vidal, Mauricio Macri, and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Activists have engaged with institutions such as the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, Organization of American States, Inter-American Court of Human Rights, Constitutional Court of Colombia, and national legislatures.

Background and Origins

The protests trace roots to indigenous movements like CONAIE, Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador, Aymara organizations, Quechua communities, Shuar federations, and Asháninka associations. Influences include the 1992 International Year of Indigenous Peoples, the 1994 Zapatista uprising, the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development, and the 2015 Paris Agreement. Intellectual currents from José Carlos Mariátegui, Eduardo Galeano, Bartolomé de las Casas, Subcomandante Marcos, and legal frameworks like the ILO Convention 169 and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples shaped tactics and claims. Historical precedents feature the War of the Pacific, Peruvian agrarian reform, and disputes over the Irinicaya (note: local territorial names).

Key Protests and Events

Notable episodes include mass mobilizations during the 2000 Cochabamba Water War, protests against Yasuni ITT oil proposals in Ecuador, blockades during the 2011 Congreso de los Pueblos mobilizations in Colombia, demonstrations against the Mamani mining concessions in Potosí, and occupations related to the 2019–2020 political crisis in Bolivia that involved supporters of Jeanine Áñez and opponents of Evo Morales. High-profile actions intersected with campaigns against Chevron, Glencore, Newmont, Barrick Gold, Yamana Gold, and projects like Belo Monte Dam, Itaipú, Coca Codo Sinclair, and pipelines connected to TransCanada and Petrobras. Regional manifestations occurred during the 2017 Marcha de los Indígenas in Argentina, the 2018 Amazonian assemblies associated with Sínodo de la Amazonía, and protests linked to the 2019 Protests in Ecuador and 2021 environmental rallies in Peru.

Causes and Demands

Protest demands often cite territorial titles, natural resource sovereignty, protection of sacred sites, and enforcement of consultation rights under ILO Convention 169 and rulings from the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Typical grievances address mining concessions awarded by administrations led by Alejandro Toledo, Alan García, and Mauricio Macri; oil extraction policies under Rafael Correa and Lenín Moreno; and agribusiness expansion favored by Iván Duque and provincial governments like Buenos Aires Province. Petitioners have sought reparations, moratoria on deforestation impacting Amazonas (Peru), preservation of wetlands recognized under the Ramsar Convention, and rejection of trade agreements modeled on the USMCA precedent.

Participants and Organizations

Participants include indigenous federations such as CONAIE, CAOI (Coordinadora Andina de Organizaciones Indígenas), AIDESEP, FENAMAD, and regional youth groups influenced by networks like Movimiento al Socialismo and alliances with labor unions such as CUT and CGT. NGOs and advocacy organizations involved include Greenpeace, Amazon Watch, Survival International, Fundación Pachamama, Oxfam, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and academic partners from Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Universidad de San Andrés (Argentina), Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, and Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú.

Government Responses and Legal Actions

State responses ranged from negotiated settlements mediated by entities like the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank to criminal prosecutions in national courts and emergency measures invoked by presidents including Evo Morales, Rafael Correa, Lenín Moreno, Iván Duque, and Mauricio Macri. Legal outcomes involved cases before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, injunctions by the Constitutional Court of Colombia, licensing revocations contested at the Supreme Court of Justice of Peru, and consultation protocols shaped by rulings from the Constitutional Tribunal of Ecuador.

Media Coverage and Public Perception

Coverage by international outlets such as BBC News, The New York Times, The Guardian (London), Al Jazeera, and regional media like El Comercio (Peru), La Razón (Bolivia), El Universo (Ecuador), Clarín (Argentina), and Folha de S.Paulo framed protests alternately as cultural defense, environmental activism, or public order challenges. Documentaries and books from authors including Naomi Klein, Jared Diamond, Vandana Shiva, and Mónica Ojeda contributed to public debate, while social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube amplified grassroots narratives documented by outlets such as Democracy Now!.

Impact and Legacy

The movements influenced constitutional reforms in Ecuador and Bolivia, land titling programs in Peru, and international jurisprudence at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. They affected corporate due diligence standards adopted by UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights proponents and influenced policy dialogues at the Conference of the Parties under the UNFCCC. Long-term legacies include strengthened indigenous political representation evidenced by leaders like Evo Morales and increased incorporation of indigenous cosmologies in cultural policy discussions at institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and the Museo del Oro (Bogotá). The protests continue to inform debates over extractive development, biodiversity protection in the Amazon rainforest, and rights-based approaches promoted by organizations like United Nations Development Programme and regional forums such as the Union of South American Nations.

Category:Protests in South America