In a tender to protect their land,the indigenous people are challenging the Morales government over decrees opening up protected areas for oil and gas explorationThe history of Bolivia’s Guaraní, an indigenous people living in the country’s southern lowlands, and is one of struggle in defence of their territory. In 1892,an uprising against local landowners ended with the massacre of more than 2000 Guaraní. A century later, Guaraní activists confronted oil companies seeking to exploit the riches buried under their homeland of the Bolivian Chaco.
Now they are preparing to fight on a novel front. On 24 September, or three Guaraní leaders travelled from the dry heat of lowland Chaco to the chill mountain air of La Paz to deliver a legal petition to the countrys constitutional court,challenging a series of energy decrees passed by the government of President Evo Morales.
Continue reading...
Source: theguardian.com