Second TIPNIS March as Important as First, Despite Lack of Attention By Sara Shahriari June 6, 2012 RSS <http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/rssfeeds> [image: TIPNIS Indigenous March 2011] Sara Shahriari Marchers protesting a highway that would cut through the National Park and Indigenous Territory Isiboro Secure near the city of La Paz in October, 2011.
*A once close relationship between Bolivias Aymara Indian President Evo Morales and some indigenous groups that backed his rise to the presidency is now damaged.* Hundreds of indigenous Bolivians are marching toward the city of La Paz for the second time in a year to protest a government-backed road that would cut through the National Park and Indigenous Territory Isiboro Secure (TIPNIS). They plan to arrive in La Paz in June to demand that the government definitively cancels a road project marchers believe will deal a deadly blow to large tracts of forest and open the TIPNIS to illegal settlements by outsiders on land inhabited by the Yuracare, Moxeno and Chiman indigenous groups. The first march covered more than 350 miles between August and October 2011, gaining international attention when Bolivian police tear-gassed and beat protestors<http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/09/27/bolivian-police-tear-gas-indigenous-marchers-55671>. When it arrived in La Paz<http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/photogallery/bolivia-tipnis-marchers-reach-la-paz>in October President Morales signed a law<http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2011/10/21/bolivia-president-moves-to-reroute-tipnis-road-59599>banning the road through the TIPNIS under tremendous public pressure. However, the tide quickly turned when a pro-road march led by CONISUR<http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/01/29/bolivian-indigenous-caucus-challenges-government-on-divisive-road-project-78767>, a group that includes a few communities from within the Isiboro Secure indigenous territory as well as farmers who live around it, reached La Paz in January. The possibility of the road was once again on the table, but this time the government vowed to comply with the Andean nations constitution and organize a consultation with residents of the TIPNIS to find out whether or not they support the road. Theres nothing more democratic than a referendum, nothing more democratic than a consultation, said Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera according to news outlet Fides<http://www.noticiasfides.com/g/politica/garcia-linera-dice-que-referendum-es-una-opcion-para-construir-carretera-por-el-tipnis-1910/> . Yet the consultation now scheduled for June fails to satisfy people who say it cannot be fair and prior as required in the constitution, given that parts of the road outside the park are already built. Accusations leveled against march leaders by government officials also raise concerns amongst anti-road factions, as do recent trips by government teams to distribute goods within the TIPNIS. The government has been in the TIPNIS and with other organizations giving them motors, solar panels and generators, said march leader Fernando Vargas of the TIPNIS, according to daily newspaper *Los Tiempos<http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/economia/20120601/fernando-vargas-presidente-evo-continua-con-la-colonizacion_173468_365201.html> *. I thought that 500 years of colonization had ended, but it turns out that colonization in Bolivia is being carried forward by President Evo Morales, as hes personally gone to indigenous communities and takes them gifts. Meanwhile, the government questions the apparent role of some political opposition groups in supporting the march. But why so much tension and conflict over a road? The Bolivian government says the route is key to linking eastern and western Bolivia, while some protestors think it is placating coca growers who want to cultivate land in the park. Whatever the case, the government has not embraced the idea of rerouting the road, saying that cost and environmental factors make other routes unfeasible. The second march for the TIPNIS is currently smaller and less unified than the first, partly because some local affiliates of indigenous social movement and march organizer, CIDOB<http://boliviadiary.wordpress.com/2012/05/11/tipnis-second-anti-road-march-continues/>, signed agreements with the government and decided not to participate. In addition, an outbreak of violent protests by doctors and labor unions recently dominated headlines and drew eyes away from the march, which so far has attracted less national and international attention than the first. Another factor is the state of the road itself. Ten months ago Brazilian construction company OAS had a multi-million dollar contract to complete the entire road, and work on two sections that would converge in the park was underway. Then, in April, the Bolivian government terminated the contract with OAS claiming the company was not on schedule. Today there is no contract, though the government says it has options for other agreements. As the march draws closer to the heart of Bolivias government in La Paz, thoughts are once again turning toward the TIPNIS and the question of whether or not there will be a peaceful resolution to this divisive issue. READ MORE Bolivia Diary<http://boliviadiary.wordpress.com/2012/04/27/second-tipnis-anti-road-march-begins/>on problems the second march faces NACLA<http://www.nacla.org/blog/2012/4/16/new-twist-tipnis-road-bolivia-cancels-highway-contract>on the contract to build the road Read more: http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/06/06/second-tipnis-march-as-important-as-first-despite-lack-of-attention-116482 http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2012/06/06/second-tipnis-march-as-important-as-first-despite-lack-of-attention-116482#ixzz1xVG6tkFZ http://boliviadiary.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/interview-sarela-paz-discusses-the-indigenous-organisation-conisur/ Interview: Sarela Paz discusses the indigenous organisation CONISUR Posted by boliviadiary<http://boliviadiary.wordpress.com/author/boliviadiary/>on 01/18/2012 · 2 Comments<http://boliviadiary.wordpress.com/2012/01/18/interview-sarela-paz-discusses-the-indigenous-organisation-conisur/#comments> 18 January 2012 *Dario Kenner, La Paz* Updates on Bolivia: Twitter:* @dariokenner / *Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BoliviaDiary *As a march led by the **Indigenous Council of the South (CONISUR) demanding a road through the TIPNIS nears La Paz I asked Sarela Paz about CONISUR and the experience in the occupied area to the south of the national park.* *[Sarela Paz is an expert on TIPNIS who was a member of the team that completed a** **Strategic Environmental Evaluation of the TIPNIS<http://www.cedib.org/bp/2011/09/p/tipnis5.pdf>in 2010. The evaluation was overseen by the ** **Bolivian Agency for Protected Areas (SERNAP)]* *How is the TIPNIS indigenous territory organised?* The TIPNIS is made up of several indigenous organisations ( http://www.cedib.org/bp/2011/09/s/sarela.pdf). Following the 1990 march (*the first march by Bolivia´s lowland indigenous peoples that pressured the government to pass supreme decree 22610 declaring TIPNIS an indigenous territory*) the TIPNIS subcentral was established grouping together all 63 communities inside TIPNIS. But in the last 10 years two other organisations were created and now the TIPNIS subcentral brings together 37 communities. The Sécure subcentral represents 14 communities. It recognises the TIPNIS Subcentral as the representative organisation and therefore defers to it. The other organisation was the Indigenous Council of the South (CONISUR) which represents communities in the south of the territory. Why were these other organisations created? Partly as a response to the pressures they were under from coca growers (cocaleros) occupying the Poligono 7 (see map<http://woborders.files.wordpress.com/2011/12/map-poligono-7-and-communities.jpg>) and pressure from the government. The TIPNIS subcentral has a different view of development to CONISUR. [image: TIPNIS national park and indigenous territory. White areas have been deforested. The area in the south has been occupied mainly by coca growers and is no longer part of the indigenous territory (Bolivian Agency for Protected Areas SERNAP, August 2011)]<http://boliviadiary.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/tipnis-y-el-poligono-7-s1.jpg> TIPNIS national park and indigenous territory. White areas have been deforested. The area in the south has been occupied mainly by coca growers and is no longer part of the indigenous territory (Bolivian Agency for Protected Areas SERNAP, August 2011) *Who does CONISUR represent?* CONISUR represents 21 indigenous communities who either live close to the occupied Poligono 7 (in total 12 communities) or inside it (9 communities). 15 CONISUR communities are marching: 6 from inside the TIPNIS indigenous territory and all 9 from the Poligono 7. *If there was a process of consultation with the communities in the TIPNIS indigenous territory who would be consulted?* The TIPNIS subcentral (37 communities), the Sécure subcentral (14 communities) and the 12 indigenous communities affiliated to CONISUR that are still within the indigenous territory (TCO) of the TIPNIS. The other 9 CONISUR communities inside the Poligono 7 could not participate and cannot make decisions for the 63 communities inside the TCO. This is because firstly they live outside the TCO, and secondly because they have individual land titles. This means they are no longer part of the collective land title held by the 63 communities in the TIPNIS. *Is there already a road in the Poligono 7?* Yes there is. It goes from the southern border of the national park to where the Moleto river and Ichoa rivers meet (about two thirds of the way into Poligono 7 (see map below). The 9 CONISUR communities inside the Poligono 7 already have a road. The question is why are they marching if there is already a road? I think it is important to compare the conditions for the indigenous communities that have access to a road (in Poligono 7) and those inside the TIPNIS indigenous territory. There is already an education and health presence inside the TIPNIS indigenous territory. It could be better but it does exist, it is not that there is nothing. One would expect the indigenous communities in Poligono 7 to have a higher level of development but actually there is not a huge difference. [image: Red line shows occupied area of Poligono 7. Black line from south to north west shows existing road (Bolivian Agency for Protected Areas SERNAP, August 2011)]<http://boliviadiary.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/mapa-8-area-de-colonizacion.jpg> Red line shows occupied area of Poligono 7. Black line from south to north west shows existing road (Bolivian Agency for Protected Areas SERNAP, August 2011) *Can you explain the impact of the occupation of around 20,000 coca growers in Poligono 7 on CONISUR?* The coca economy has affected the way of life of the 9 indigenous communities inside the Poligono 7 in terms of their economic activity and daily tasks. It is not about the indigenous communities deciding to become cocaleros. They are under huge pressure and surrounded by cocalero communities. It changes what they do each day. The clearest example of this is in a change in vision from the collective to the individual use of the land. Inside the TIPNIS the logic is a collective use and management of the land. But in the Poligono 7 indigenous communities have obtained individual land titles. The decision is taken under pressure because they are surrounded by cocalero communities but it is still a decision that is taken. If you are not part of the cocalero * sindicato* (union) you cannot grow coca it will be eradicated. But if you are part of a sindicato then you can. In early January 2012 it was revealed seven CONISUR communities produce coca<http://www.eldeber.com.bo/2012/2012-01-03/vernotanacional.php?id=120102214004>and are affiliated to the Six Federation of the Tropics headed by President Evo Morales. Although the 12 indigenous communities affiliated to CONISUR on the border of Poligono 7 are further away they are still impacted by the coca economy. There is not every day contact but they still produce coca or sell their labour to the cocaleros at harvest time. Their main income is now not coming from the forest but from the cocaleros. The youth calculate how much they can make to buy a t-shirt they like. So even though there is not permanent contact it affects their way of life. Studies by previous governments on coca producing regions have identified that the production of coca in the TIPNIS area is not just for traditional use. Two months ago this trend was confirmed when a cocaine lab was found and destroyed inside the TIPNIS<http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/nacional/20111126/caceres-confirma-destruccion-de-nuevo-laboratorio-de-cocaina-en-el_151020_313416.html>. There is a huge pressure on this region because it is linked in to global markets and driven by the global demand for cocaine. *Why is the Bolivian government so determined to build the road through the TIPNIS?* [image: Pro-road CONISUR march]<http://boliviadiary.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/marcha-conisur.jpg> Pro-road CONISUR march *The government never wanted to pass Law 180 banning the road. The main reason is that the government has a different logic of development compared to the indigenous communities. The President is a cocalero and so sees Poligono 7 as development. This is based on seeing land as having value if it can grow coca.* *They see the indigenous communities in the TIPNIS as not being developed. They do not understand this different development model that based on ideas of the sustainable use of natural resources and food security.* *There are other reasons such as the aim of linking up the regions of the Beni and Cochabamba. Also in 2007 the Morales government gave two **concessions to oil companies*<http://www.opinion.com.bo/opinion/articulos/2011/0930/noticias.php?id=26955> * Petrobras (Brazilian state oil company) and to YPFB Petroandina. Oil companies will not begin their operations if there is not a road.* [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ --------------------------------------------------------------------------- LAAMN: Los Angeles Alternative Media Network --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unsubscribe: <mailto:laamn-unsubscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: <mailto:laamn-subscr...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Digest: <mailto:laamn-dig...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Help: <mailto:laamn-ow...@egroups.com?subject=laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Post: <mailto:la...@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive1: <http://www.egroups.com/messages/laamn> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archive2: <http://www.mail-archive.com/laamn@egroups.com> --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Yahoo! 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