Mines Take the Lives of Indigenous Father and Daughter in Colombia
Posted by: James Hathaway
I ran across this today... it gives context to the importance of my previous post on the US Gov. work in Colombia .
Source: http://www.sharedresponsibility.gov.co/index.php?idcategoria=532
Mines Take the Lives of Indigenous Father and Daughter in Colombia
Two Colombian Kogi indians, a father and daughter, were killed by a landmine while walking in their reservation in Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.
Thousands of hectares of illicit crops extend along the many hills and fields of the Sierra Nevada National Park, which borders Colombia's Carribean coast. These crops not only destroy the Sierra's unique ecosystem but also put the lives of the Kogi, Arhuaco and Wiwa indigenous tribes at risk.
The three tribes, who have made these mountains their home for centuries, must now face a future plagued by landmines. These illegal devices are part of the security strategy used by drug traffickers to protect the illicit crops cultivated in the Sierra Nevada National Park.
The Kogi are known as one of the most peaceful indigenous tribes living in Colombia, who value the land and their relationship with it. Pictured here is a young Kogi girl, one who will have to watch her step in her homeland from now on.
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