 |
| Wichí farmer, Argentina.
©Jonathan Mazower/Survival |
For the second time in fifteen days ten Wichí representatives made the
long and costly journey from their lands in northern Argentina to the
capital to meet President Kirchner. Once again, the promised meeting
did not materialise.
The Wichí had originally asked for a meeting to press their
long-standing claim for the protection of what remains of their
ancestral lands. The government of the province of Salta, where the
Indians live, is forcing through a scheme to split up their land
between the individual Indian villages and the settlers who have
occupied the most fertile areas over the last century. The Wichí
believe that the federal government, as a signatory to international
conventions recognising Indian land rights, has a responsibility to
ensure that their lands are properly protected.
After waiting for four days in the capital, the Wichí were finally told
that the long-awaited meeting would not take place. The Wichí are used
to waiting: they were originally promised their land in 1991.
