Tribalism and Land Rights in Northern South America - Essay Example

History of our area of interest, like that of the American continents in general, has been a history of land dispute and genocide ever since the European kingdoms first came to establish contact with the region. What is specific about Latin America and its northern part, in particular, is that the political struggles for land and power between various groups are an ongoing process up to the present day, unfolding right before our eyes.

The groups involved were traditionally defined on an ethical basis, as is the case of numerous indigenous tribes inhabiting their portions of the region, but with the advance of modern industrial society, groups defined by shared interest or goal come into play increasingly more often. A characteristic feature of the state of affairs brought about by some powerful economic interests in an environment with a weakened or nonexistent rule of law is the disappearance of clear boundaries between the sphere of governments/authorities and the sphere of organized crime or rebels.

In a region traditionally torn by international disputes over land, resources, or economic paradigms, guerrilla or paramilitary groups in one country are often sponsored by the government of a neighboring country. Over the last years, this has been the case with FARC - a Marxist rebel terrorist group active in Colombia, and its ties to the present-day government of Venezuela. The organization derives most of its finance from growing coca (Philp). In their effort to restore the money influx after it suffered from a U.S.-backed anti-drug campaign led by the Colombian government, the guerrillas invaded areas previously unassociated with coca production, doing everything to get the indigenous inhabitants of these lands involved in their trade.

As Philp shows in her article, the coca-growing guerrillas, a self-standing anti-government group thinking themselves to be outside the reach of legitimate Colombian authorities, never refrain from threats, violence, and murder. Native peoples whose right to their land started to be fully recognized by the law of their country only in a relatively recent time are thus falling victim to criminal groups having free hands due to the general lawlessness prevailing in the remotest parts of South America's rural regions.

 Throughout their history the native peoples have shown a remarkable attachment to their land, rivers, and hunting sites, boldly opposing colonization waves brought by petroleum exploration, gold mining, rubber and coca plantations, and other agricultural land uses.