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Alcohol consumption in Indigenous communities is a complex reality. While it is often part of traditional ceremonial practices, it can also generate social, familial, and health-related imbalances—especially when linked to contexts of poverty, exclusion, or violence. Despite its significance, few studies have documented how this issue is lived, perceived, and addressed in Indigenous territories across Latin America.
With the support of the Latin America Healthy Coalition (CLAS), Sinergias is carrying out a participatory research project to understand the attitudes, practices, perceptions, and knowledge related to alcohol consumption in Indigenous communities in Colombia, Ecuador, and Guatemala. In Colombia, the study is conducted in partnership with the Indigenous association AATAC, located in the department of Vaupés.
Through interviews, surveys, and community gatherings, we are listening directly to men and women about their experiences with alcohol, its role in daily life, and its impacts on health and social relations. The initiative also aims to create spaces for dialogue within communities to jointly build culturally appropriate strategies for preventing and reducing the harms associated with alcohol consumption.
This process not only helps generate evidence where there was previously none, but also strengthens community autonomy by actively involving individuals in decision-making processes about their own well-being. The findings from this study will inform the design of culturally sensitive public policies and health programs that respect local knowledge and are built upon the voices of the communities themselves.