Tuesday, April 10, 2012

200 years after independence, Latin America still struggles

http://freevideo.rt.com/script/3681/en

Nusta Nelson, a native American activist in Colombia, dreams of the day when the rights of his people will be recognized. 

He shares with millions of Latin Americans a long legacy of underdevelopment, going back to the Spanish occupation.

"Colombia has killed and robbed more Indians than Spain. There is no justice in our current situation, where people are denied the right properly,¨ says Nelson Nusta, native American author and activist. 

He recounts the local legend that when universe was created, God entrusted the guardianship of the world to his children – but soon Ania, the spirit of evil, brought discord among the people, so that she could divide and conquer them. 

Colombia gained independence from Spain exactly two centuries ago. And since then, the country has never managed to establish a strong position in the global economic system. 

"There were the years of misery and poverty. Governments didn’t find answers to the problems we had,” says Olmes Andrade, another native American activist. 

But now there is some hope. Despite the economic and political problems in countries like Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela and Peru, indigenous activism has succeeded, at least in part, in reconciling the past with the present, and giving greater opportunities to indigenous peoples. 

"Letting indigenous peoples live good lives is what everybody needs," says Bascope Gaston Cornejo, a senator in Bolivia. 

However, social and economic development still has a long way to go in Latin America. Although there have been some victories, corruption continues to be a major cause of social and economic imbalance. 

"The origin of corruption in our countries due to the popular belief that corruption is an intelligent activity. Who engages to this activity won’t end up in jail, but those who are honest will have problems," says Roy Campos from Mexico City. 

"I would describe the poverty model as an indigenous woman who has x number of children, but doesn’t have access to basic services of electricity, water, and what is much worse she has health problems," says Carlos Diego Mesa Gisbert, former President of Bolivia. 

This year, several Latin American countries are celebrating the anniversary of their independence from Spain, but violence continues to plague the region. So this means as before, Latin America must battle for survival. 


Video: 


http://freevideo.rt.com/section/791

No comments: