Venezuela: Indigenous people make gains

October 18, 2008
Issue 

On October 12, the National Day of Indigenous Resistance, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez delivered land titles to traditional land to four indigenous communities, according to an October 14 Venezuelanalysis.com article.

The titles were delivered to mark the day, which was changed in 2002 from a day celebrating Christopher Columbus's "discovery" of the Americas to a day commemorating those who resisted European invasion.

Chavez called on other Latin American governments to stop celebrating the day to honour Columbus, but to recognise it as the start of the "genocide of the indigenous peoples", according to Venezuelanalysis.com

Chavez stated, "We are still waiting for Europe to recognise that there was a genocide here".

Speaking from the San Rafael del Mojan indigenous community in Zulia state, where he inaugurated the Indigenous Agriculture and Livestock Technical School Kanuye Anu, Chavez commented, "A revolution had to arrive for us to leave behind those absurd celebrations where we would pay homage" to those responsible for genocide.

He also inaugurated an aqueduct to assist with agricultural production and supply San Rafael del Mojan's 47,000 people with clean drinking water for the first time.

Chavez also announced plans for US$109 million in education, road infrastructure, health, basic public services, citizen security organisations and projects of "socialist production", Venezuelanalysis.com reported.

In the US, Venezuelan assistance to indigenous tribes — via a program to provide subsidised or free heating oil to poor communities in the US through the Venezuelan-owned petrol distribution chain CITGO — is continuing despite the increased tensions between the US and Venezuelan governments, according to an October 10 Indian Country Today article.

The article reported that in "2006 – 07, the program assisted 180,000 households, 250 shelters, and 37 American Indian tribes".

"Approximately 6.5 million gallons of heating oil were distributed to Native communities last year. The heating oil is donated by CITGO at no cost."

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