The thousands of indigenous protesters that will march to Cali Tuesday
will march to Bogotá next if Colombian President Álvaro Uribe insists
in his refusal to talk to them about the return of land, health care,
education and the indigenous “genocide” by paramilitary groups, El Espectador reported Monday.
The protesters started their demonstration a week ago, demanding talks with the President. Riot police tried repressing the protests with violence when the indigenous took to blocking south Colombia’s most important highway. The indigenous claim two of their people were killed and over seventy were injured in the clashes.
Despite talks with three ministers and the promise of Uribe to buy land for the indigenous, there was no deal made between the natives and the government.
At least 12,000 indigenous started a march from La Maria, Cauca to Colombia’s third largest city Cali to continue to pressure the government.
“We are talking with all our organizations nationwide so they all send delegations to Cali. The idea is to meet with our partners that came from Cauca and see if we continue marching to Bogotá if the President doesn’t show,” chairman of the National Organization of Indigenous Colombia (ONIC) told the newspaper.
ONIC is expecting some 20,000 indigenous to arrive in Cali.