The minga: in defense of life, territory, good living and the common good

"For justice and survival today they wield their batons. They are friends of peace... ready to resist, to defend our rights even if we have to die for my race, for my land" says the chorus of the Hymn of the Indigenous Guard.

In the context of Colombia, one of the most dangerous countries in the world for human rights defenders, this last phrase is no longer figurative.

The urban population receives little information about what is happening in rural territories, and this is even more so in remote places with little communication, such as the Amazon. Few people know that Camilo Suarez, an indigenous leader known as the Deputy of the Jungle, died of COVID waiting for an ambulance that never arrived. Few people have heard his sister Patricia giving a message of encouragement, hope and care to the communities that supported him. Few people know that an indigenous person in the Amazon is almost twice as likely to die from COVID as anyone elsewhere in the country.

Photo: courtesy of OPIAC

The visibility of the historical precarious situation in these territories is one of the missions that the indigenous minga has had since its beginnings. The October mobilization, in addition to seeking a meeting with Duque, as Margarita Martinez, co-director of Robatierra told the BBC, seeks to raise awareness about the marginalization that indigenous, Afro and peasant communities are experiencing in rural areas of the country. The indigenous minga, which has managed to become a national movement, advocates for democracy, peace and equality. It is a struggle for the protection of social leaders who continue to be assassinated; for the implementation of the peace accords, whose commitments remain unfulfilled; for the protection of the territory, which is violated by extractive projects; for the care of families, who continue to die due to lack of access to health services and poverty. The minga fights for the survival of minority peoples, whose lives continue to be violated by historical dynamics of marginalization and institutional neglect.

The minga represents a mechanism of defense and manifestation, an ethical positioning against structural dynamics of violence, inequality, discrimination and neglect, advocating for a country where diversity is actively listened to, valued and protected. The word “minga” in Quechua, refers to the gathering of different actors, knowledge and tools under a common purpose, teaching us the power of the union of peoples, of the forceful and peaceful organization. Sinergias joins this call and is committed to continue working hand in hand with indigenous peoples, fighting so that education, health and dignified life are not a political discussion, but a guaranteed right for all citizens.

Photo: courtesy of OPIAC

Now that the minga has begun its return journey, we must continue to work together for the rights of all people. From the cities there are several things that can be done. We can use our right to vote to elect representatives who respect the diversity of the country and do not politicize fundamental rights; we can stay informed about what is happening in the rural areas of the country to identify ways to provide support in crisis situations; we can donate to organizations that fight for the rights of marginalized populations, so that they can continue their work in the most remote territories; and we can also participate in the mobilizations in their different formats, following the banner of peace, organization, interculturalism and cooperation that the minga teaches us.

If you want to join and support us in the work we do with indigenous communities for the health and life of the Colombian Amazon you can do it here: sinergiasong.org/donar