Communication from the Camelias Community, Curvaradó River Basin

The following is a letter from the Lower Community Council of Camelias in Curvaradó to the Interior Ministry requesting fulfillment of the commitments made by that ministry.

Camelias Community, Curvaradó River Basin, Carmen del Darien Municipality, Chocó, November 15, 2011

Sirs:
Interior Ministry

We are members of the Camelias Lower Council, recognized as ancestral owners of this territory, according to Law 70 of 1993, regulatory decree 1745 of 1995. Since December 13, 2010, we have been enduring the invasion of our territory, which has affected the traditional use and ancestral culture and has caused environmental damage with the loss of primary forests, the disappearance of wetlands, streams, and swamps; grave crimes against the life of our ecosystem.

After having exhausted the possibilities at all the judicial levels, because of all the judicial failures, the community decided to initiate the cleaning of our territory, cutting down the crops of the invaders on October 13, 2011. We notified the government of this action, demanding protection and held it responsible to take effective action within 48 hours. The government reacted, convoking meetings on October 14 and 15, 2011 where the government made the commitment to carry out the eviction on November 15, 2011.

Attached are the commitment notes and the minutes of the meeting. Today, November 15, we hope that the government will fulfill its commitments. Otherwise, the community will go ahead with the eviction ourselves.

Sincerely,

Camelias Lower Community Council
The minutes are not published, by request of the community.
This communication was transcribed with the authorization of the community.