Colombian President Álvaro Uribe agreed to meet indigenous leaders next
Sunday. Uribe initially told the leaders to meet him in Popayán, but
later agreed to meet them in Cali where thousands of indigenous
protesters hope to arrive Saturday after a five-day walk.
The President hopes to have a “comprehensive and constructive dialogue” with the indigenous leaders, his press secretary said.
The indigenous needed one and a half week of protests to get the conversation they wanted. The indigenous want the government to fulfill its promises about the redistribution of stolen land, health care, education and protection from paramilitary groups that are increasingly threatening the indigenous as they say.
Earlier conversation with government ministers led to nothing and clashes between police and protesters left at least four people dead.
Indigenous leaders will meet Saturday one day before the meeting with the president to discuss the common issues. They say they will be joined by Bolivian President Evo Morales, Spanish judge Baltasar Garzón and Argentinian nobel prize winner Adolfo
Perez Esquivel.