ENCHACO – Native Encounters in the South American Gran Chaco
The Initiative ENCHACO
The Initiative "ENCHACO" consists of a sequence of Native Encounters in all the region of the Argentinean, Bolivian and Paraguayan Chaco. It is supported by all indigenous organizations of the South American Gran Chaco and focuses determinedly the problem field related to "water and territory".
With the process of the ENCHACO Initiative not only is it sought to develop an extensive critical debate of the impacts that spatial expansion of the dominant regional groups, the business undertakings and the mega projects produce on the environmental, cultural, and socio-economic rights of the Ethnic Groups of the Gran Chaco, particularly the rights related to water and territory. It is also intended to articulate the respective own proposals of the indigenous that historically and structurally where and are ignored or marginalized by the dominant social groups and sectors. The leitmotiv is the improvement of coordination between Ethnic Groups as well as the fortifying of native strategies, on the one hand, to preserve their elementary “water“ resources and to articulate themselves territorially and, on the other hand, to stop the process of external appropriation of these strategic resources and the substantial annexation of native territories by non-native social groups.
The Ethnic Groups of the three countries are found more and more deprived of their territories and natural goods, and there is no glimpse of a solution on the matter. Therefore, in the process of Encounters of the three countries options and alternatives for solutions will be sought through the participation and dialogue between all the Ethnic Groups of the Gran Chaco and the institutions that are supportive with the vindications and proposals authentically native. The focus of the ENCHACO process is basically: to build the Native Chaco not only in a conventional vindictive perspective, but to achieve it in a much deeper sense, from the visions and ideas of the Natives themselves. The Initiative tries also to achieve a new alliance between indigenous organizations, local Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and western financing agencies that take into account this point of reference.
In this context several instances for the structuring of the ENCHACO process have been constituted that guarantee the indigenous prominence in this Initiative. The general responsibility of the sequence of Native Encounters in the South American Chaco, in process of development during the years 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and probably 2010, is assumed by Burkhard Schwarz, the Coordinator of the Initiative ENCHACO.
National Native Encounters in Paraguay, Argentine and Bolivia
The Paraguayan ENCHACO
During the days 16 to August 18, 2006 the “Paraguayan ENCHACO” or “Encounter of the Native Groups of the Paraguayan Chaco” took place in Makxawaya, located in the tradional territory of the Enxet (Department of Presidente Hayes – Paraguayan Chaco).
The “Paraguayan ENCHACO” consisted of an Encounter among Ethnic Groups of the Paraguayan Chaco. 220 representatives from 11 Native Groups of the Paraguayan Chaco took part in the Event (Nivaclé, Lhumnanes, Enlhet North, Enxet South, Angaité, Sanapaná, Toba Maskoy, Yshïr, Ayoréode, Guaraní Occidental and Guaraní Ñandeva), and also representatives from 10 NGOs that develop accompaniment activities to the Indigenous Groups in the Paraguayan Chaco. It is the first Encounter of this kind in Paraguay.
The Paraguayan ENCHACO was organized by the native organization “Comisión de Pueblos y Comunidades Indígenas del Chaco Paraguayo” – CPI Chaco Py., with the aid of the "Instancia de Reflexión", and supported by all “indigenist” Non-Governmental Organizations that are present in the Paraguayan Chaco. It resulted in a rich debate oriented to establish common criteria between the Ethnic Groups of the Paraguayan Chaco in the perspective to articulate the own proposals and demands. The idea is that the latter are again discussed in the South American ENCHACO together with the Argentinean and Bolivian Ethnic Groups and that finally there is produced a general strategic consent on these proposals and demands.
At present the interests of the dominant social groups in Paraguay are expressed in the exclusion of the Native Groups from the remaining land property of the state, in the acceleration of deforestion, the aggressive expansion of the cattle frontier as well as the actual licensing of native hydrical resources to non-indigenous social groups, the political manipulation of the state's "Comisión de Seguimiento de Pueblos Indígenas" (COSEPI) and particularly in the “Plan of Environmental Classification of the Territory” (POAT) pertaining to the departments of Boquerón and Alto Paraguay and presently being extended towards the Department of Presidente Hayes.
The Argentinean ENCOUNTER GRAN CHACO
During the days 26 to May 27, 2007 the "ENCOUNTER Argentinean GRAN CHACO" or "Encounter of the Native Groups of the Argentinean Gran Chaco" took place in Laguna Yema, located in the traditional territory of the Wichí (Province of Formosa – Argentinean Chaco). The "ENCOUNTER Argentinean GRAN CHACO" consisted of an Encounter among Ethnic Groups of the Argentinean Chaco. 300 representatives from 7 Native Groups of the Argentinean Chaco (Wichí, Nivaclé, Toba Qom, Pilagá, Mocoví, Ava Guaraní and Chané) took part in the Event. It is the first Encounter of this kind in Argentina.
The “ENCOUNTER Argentinean GRAN CHACO” was organized by the native organizations of the Argentinean Chaco –above all the organizations of the Province of Formosa–, with the aid of the Paraguayan NGO "Comité de Iglesias para Ayudas de Emergencia "– CIPAE. It resulted in a rich debate oriented to establish common criteria between the Ethnic Groups of the Argentinean Chaco in the perspective to articulate the own proposals and demands. The idea is that the latter are again discussed in the South American ENCHACO together with the Paraguayan and Bolivian Ethnic Groups and that finally there is produced a general strategic consent on these proposals and demands.
At present the interests of the dominant social groups in Argentina are expressed in the infrastructure measures arranged against the native interests, the acceleration of forest clearing, the exclusivity of the annexation of natural resources by the Creoles, the aggressive expansion of the soya frontier, the exclusion of the Native Groups from the remaining land property of the state, the actual licensing of native hydrical resources to non-indigenous social groups, as well as particularly in the political manipulation of the state's “Consejo de Participación Indígena“ (CPI), which blocks, among other things, the application of the national Law 26160.
The Bolivian ENCOUNTER CHACO During the days 15 to September 16, 2007 the “ENCOUNTER Bolivian Chaco” or “Great Assembly of the Native Groups of the Bolivian Chaco” took place in Macharetí, located in the traditional territory of the Guaraní (Department of Chuquisaca – Bolivian Chaco).
The “Great Assembly of the Native Groups of the Bolivian Chaco” consisted of an Encounter among Ethnic Groups of the Bolivian Chaco. 240 representatives from 4 Native Groups of the Bolivian Chaco (Guaraní, Chiquitanos, Ayoréode and Weenhayek) took part in the Event, and also representatives from 11 NGOs that develop accompaniment activities to the Indigenous Groups in the Bolivian Chaco. It is the first Encounter of this kind in Bolivia.
The “ENCOUNTER Bolivian Chaco” was organized by the native organizations "Asamblea del Pueblo Guaraní" – APG Nacional de Bolivia and "Coordinadora de Pueblos Etnicos de Santa Cruz" – CPESC, with the help of the Paraguayan NGO "Comité de Iglesias para Ayudas de Emergencia" – CIPAE, and supported by the “indigenist“ Non-Governmental Organizations present in the Bolivian Chaco. It resulted in a rich debate oriented to establish common criteria between the Ethnic Groups of the Bolivian Chaco in the perspective to articulate the own proposals and demands. The idea is that the latter are again discussed in the South American ENCHACO together with the Paraguayan and Argentinean Ethnic Groups and that finally there is produced a general strategic consent on these proposals and demands. The most striking result of the "ENCOUNTER Bolivian CHACO” is the resolution of the "Declaración de Macharetí".
At present the interests of the dominant social groups in Bolivia are expressed in the political radicalization of the regional Creole elite arranged against the interests of the Ethnic Groups, in the obstruction and the delay of the existing mechanisms of land allocation (TCO, SAN SIM and CAT SAN) to the Indigenous Groups, the actual licensing of native hydrical resources to non-indigenous social groups, as well as particularly in the slight financial participation of the Native Groups in the redistribution of taxes on exploitation of regional gas and oil resources (IDH).
The Result of the national Native Encounters
According to all the participants –native and non native– the Events of Makxawaya, Laguna Yema and Macharetí were a total success in the perspective of fortifying and articulating the own native proposals with the objective of a structural solution of the vital problems related to "Water and Territory" in the South American Gran Chaco.
The assembly of the native proposals expressed in these Events and the internal native debates that continue being articulated, constitutes an anti-hegemonic discourse and a political counter-colonial counter-proposal set against the hegemonic discourse and the current public politics dominated in the entire Gran Chaco by business interests.
Transnational Native Encounters: the South American ENCHACO
The regional Encounters at national level culminate in a transnational Native Encounter of the South American Gran Chaco – the South American ENCHACO. The first South American ENCHACO already took place, and the second South American ENCHACO is now being planned.
The South American ENCHACO I
During the days 6 to November 8, 2007 the first "ENCHACO Sudamericano" took place in Cerrito (Benjamín Aceval, Department of Presidente Hayes), in the traditional territory of the Toba Qom of the Paraguayan Chaco. It was organized by the native organizations "Comisión de Pueblos y Comunidades Indígenas del Chaco Paraguayo "– CPI Chaco Py., "Coordinadora de Líderes Indígenas del Bajo Chaco" – CLIBCH and "Federación Regional Indígena del Chaco Central" – FRICC, with the aid of the "Instancia de Reflexión", and supported by all “indigenist” Non-Governmental Organizations that are present in the Paraguayan Chaco as well as by several Argentinean and Bolivian NGOs.
262 representatives of 16 Native Groups of the Paraguayan, Argentinean and Bolivian Chaco (Ava Guaraní, Guaraní Ñandeva – Tapiete, Chané, Chiquitanos, Ayoréode, Yshïr, Wichí – Weenhayek, Nivaclé, Lhumnanes, Enlhet North, Enxet South, Angaité, Sanapaná, Toba Qom, Pilagá and Mocoví) participated in the first Event of this kind at the level of South American Chaco, besides representatives of the Supportive Cooperation Agencies that support projects and programs in the Gran Chaco, and also local NGOs that accompany the indigenous vindictive and constructive processes.
The Native Encounter was realized in form of a "Magna Assembly of the Native Groups of the South American Gran Chaco". In this "Encuentro" the analysis of national problem configurations related to "water and territory" was transformed to a situation analysis on these subjects at the transnational level. The most striking result of the "ENCHACO Sudamericano I” was the resolution of the "Pronunciamiento de Cerrito". The “Magna Assembly of the Native Groups of the South American Gran Chaco“ decided to continue and to deepen this debate by means of a second transnational ENCHACO Encounter.
The South American ENCHACO II
The second "ENCHACO Sudamericano" presumably takes place during the days 18 to September 20, 2008 in Santa Fe (Province of Santa Fe – Argentina). It is thought that by means of this complementary transnational Encounter jointly pursued native strategies attempting to solve the hydrical and territorial problematic in the Gran Chaco should become refined, alliances of indigenous organizations expanded and concrete actions of the united fight for "water and territory" coordinated.
The responsibility for the organisation of this Encounter is assumed by the native “Organización de Comunidades Aborígenes de la Provincia de Santa Fe” - OCASTAFE.
