The Cauca Regional Indigenous Council, CRIC: the struggle for land, culture and autonomy in south-west Colombia

For more than 50 years, a movement of smallholder, indigenous communities in the Colombian department of Cauca has been fighting against their racist and economic marginalisation. In the midst of an armed conflict and despite harsh repression, they have achieved comprehensive self-administration and land rights as well as cultural recognition. In the more than 100 indigenous self-governing territories that are united in the CRIC, around 300,000 people organise their administration, as well as parts of their education, healthcare and economy, according to their own ideas. The Guardia Indígena, an unarmed self-defence process, protect the communities. The land is inalienable collective property. However, economic exploitation and social racism are still in effect. In addition, various armed groups are active in the region. In recent years, they have murdered dozens of indigenous officials and guardias and forcibly recruited hundreds of indigenous youths. Abandoned by the state, the communities are resisting direct and structural violence through their own efforts and are working on self-determined alternatives. Eliseth Peña, indigenous Nasa and journalist from Cauca/Colombia, and the coffee collective Aroma Zapatista from Hamburg, which has been selling coffee from the movement in solidarity for 10 years, will present the movement and the current situation in the communities in their talk. Afterwards there will be room for discussion.