Political Quotes

“indigenous people in Latin America and around the world are facing unprecedented threats to their communities and cultural survival. Faced with increasing intrusions of settlers, illegal miners, loggers, ranchers, wildlife traffickers, narcotics traffickers, and explorers for oil and gas, coupled with woefully inadequate police protection, they are among the world's most vulnerable people. This crisis is illustrated by the alarming situation facing the Yanomami people in the Upper Orinoco region of Venezuela, an area that is being destroyed by illegal gold miners. It is reminiscent of the decimation of Native American Tribes in past centuries in our own country, when millions were forced off their land, murdered, or infected with smallpox, measles, and other fatal diseases brought by White settlers. The Venezuelan Government has an obligation to guarantee the right to health, as part of the right to life, enshrined in the country's Constitution. In the case of indigenous people like the Yanomami, this includes the adaptation of health services and programs to their unique circumstances and needs. After the ``Haximu Massacre of the Yanomami'' in 1993, when 16 Yanomami were killed by a group of illegal miners, was brought before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Venezuelan Government signed a settlement agreement that established commitments regarding surveillance and control of illegal mining and healthcare for the Yanomami people.…”