The Colombian government denies criminalizing indigenous peoples in
a response to a complaint filed by several indigenous groups before the
United Nations.
“At no time indigenous people were criminalized by the national government. In fact, there is not one investigation against any indigenous people,” the Interior and Justice Ministry said in a statement.
The Ministry reiterated “its disposition to talk and to consult with the organizations and the indigenous people.”
The indigeouns accuse the Uribe administration of not having done anything to improve their situation or to protect them from violence committed against them by paramilitary or guerrilla groups.
“All we see is impunity. The government has not opened a single investigation into the 64 indigenous killed by different armed groups,” Luis Andrade Evelis of the national indigenous organization said.
The indigenous also say the government allows national and internation corporations to take control over indigenous lands and offering military protection to these companies.
The United Nations earlier this year qualified the situation of Colombia’s indigenous as “serious, critical and deeply disturbing.”