ElTiempo highlights the work of Sinergias in Vaupés

The most widely circulated newspaper in Colombia mentions the work we have been developing with the indigenous communities of Vaupés, regarding the recent premiere of the documentary “La Selva Inflada” (The Inflated Jungle) by the Bogota director Alejandro Naranjo.

In the article entitled “The frustration of the indigenous youth of Vaupés” the journalist José Darío Puentes talks about the research and studies we have developed on suicide in the region and quotes our Primary Health Care (PHC) coordinator, Pablo Martínez, as one of the main sources of information on the subject.

The NGO Sinergias - one of the sources consulted by the director - has studied and compiled information on suicides in the jungle. Between 2008 and 2015 it registered 151 cases in Vaupes. Of that figure, 95 percent corresponds to indigenous people and 5 percent to mestizos and settlers. "The causes of this phenomenon are multiple. One of them is something that anthropologists call ‘acculturation and deculturation,’ which occurs when one culture enters another and causes the loss of certain customs," clarifies Pablo Martínez, a member of the organization.

Thanks to the work of each of our collaborators, the problem of suicide in the indigenous communities of this region of the country is gaining greater visibility, and in this way, we hope that it will have a space for reflection and action within the Public Health policies of the country.

To see the full article http://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/otras-ciudades/la-frustracion-de-los-jovenes-indigenas-del-vaupes/16551269