Some ten thousand of indigenous started a march in the south west of Colombia on Sunday to protest social policies by the government of President Alvaro Uribe.
The main ‘minga’, as the indigenous call their gatherings, started in the town of Santander de Quilichao, Valle. Indigenous lader Luis Evelis Andrade told french press agency AFP other marches were organized in other parts of the department.
The indigenous hope to reach the department’s capital Cali on October 16 and are expecting some 40,000 protesters.
The natives accuse the government of not having fulfilled promises made on social programs.