May 3, 2023: The Plaza de Bolivar in Bogotá is occupied by about 500 members of the Indigenous Guard. Responding to President Gustavo Petro’s call to support his government’s reforms.
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March 21, 2023: Spokespersons for the same group warned they would mobilize in 28 departments if no progress was made in protecting their lands. and in their own governments.
March 3, 2023: Guardia offered to be part of the ceasefire monitoring and verification group to Peace Commissioner Danilo Rueda. in their own land.
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These are just three episodes in which the Guardians come into power after becoming the central axis of the various conversations of the current Government. And although various industries supported this role, members of the same communities emerged to question them, and academics began to sound the alarm. “because of the danger of accumulating power”, even comparing them to phenomena such as the Chavista collectives.
Few know for certain how many of these guards were made, how they were financed, and who commanded them. In fact, EL TIEMPO received a copy of the complaints before the Prosecutor’s Office, the Ombudsman’s Office, and the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), where indigenous leaders demanded that they investigate some of its members (on their own names). due to the origin of his sources and his alleged links with armed groups.
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According to this Figures from the Colombian National Indigenous Organization (ONIC) indicate that members of the Indigenous Guard are around 80,000 from more than 700 reservations, The number representing half of the National Police personnel.
When asked about their financing and maintenance during their stay in major cities, indigenous leaders pointed out that they all depend on voluntary contributions.
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“There is no source of funding through law or through agreements with someone. Assemblies are convened for mobilizations and each member contributes voluntarily”, Edwin Guetio, life defense and human rights program coordinator of the Cauca Regional Indigenous Council (Cric).
your colleague Michael Guetio, an official of Cerro Tijera from Suárez (Cauca) and a member of the Nasa people, added that they get their resources from the relational economy: “Many of us sell handicrafts and food, and that’s where the contribution comes from.”
However NASA and human rights activist José Vitonas Yatacué offer another version. According to him, these groups turned into a radical force, This creates fear, not respect.
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“No more dialogue, now an ambitious guardian of power“Recognized by the JEP as a victim of the conflict,” said Vitonas.
“Some have allowed armed groups to infiltrate them. In 2000, at the age of 13, I was handed over to the Jacobo Arenas arm by the Indigenous Guard coordinator of the village of Sesteadero in Toribío (Cauca).. And the complaints note that some cores are using weapons from escorts appointed by the National Protection Unit (UNP).
and yesThey confirm the alleged permits that dissidents are allowed to install cocaine crystallizers on its territory in exchange for financing.
In the face of these complaints; Senator Aída Quilcué (Mais) says this is an attempt to demonize them, and that dissidents incite violence against their communities, even though they have amassed power through their historical struggle.
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“At the time of the armed conflict, the guards protected the lives of many communities. This unarmed humanitarian exercise becomes relevant to this ‘Government of Change’ and they make sense in terms of ‘complete peace’,” he explained.
And Edwin Guetio, also from Timbío (Cauca), native guard of the Kite Kiwe region, He stressed that the leadership of the guards is responsible for the domestic authorities.
but pFor sociologist and professor at National University Eduardo Pizarro Leongómez, there are concerns about his expansion and activism. Warning given due to what is happening in Chiapas (Mexico). The Zapatista Army of National Liberation (Ezln), fighting for indigenous rights, is on the verge of a civil war between paramilitary forces and other forces.
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“That example It is concerned that the state will lose its arms monopoly by transferring regional security to a local organization.its functioning is not controlled,” he explained.
And he quoted other negative statements: the capture of the Capitol in Washington by white militias; and the Bolivarian Circles of Hugo Chávez in Venezuela.
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There is another reading from Indepaz’s president, Camilo González: “The stamp affixed to them is unfounded; “There is no judicial process that supports this,” he said.
And he adds to say: hhere the phenomenon of guards cooperation by armed groups is “risked” and tried to be put at the center of justice and the army against a pacifist process. organized by communities.
He emphasized that the village guard works within the authority and authority of the parliament: “In the Caucasus, without the guards, these communities would have long since been destroyed by armed groups.”
(Check all articles from EL TIEMPO’s Investigation Unit here)
For Carmen Gemuel, Cric’s adviser, said the complaints were not new: “We have considered them. The person does not have the capacity to process all the information, there may be an unpleasant situation with the guard.but Cric is not responsible”.
In any case, While the guard is gathering strength, there are individual incidents that are already being investigated.
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I am Bret Jackson, a professional journalist and author for Gadget Onus, where I specialize in writing about the gaming industry. With over 6 years of experience in my field, I have built up an extensive portfolio that ranges from reviews to interviews with top figures within the industry. My work has been featured on various news sites, providing readers with insightful analysis regarding the current state of gaming culture.
