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http://www.wunrn.com

 

CACIQUE - An Indian chief or political leader, especially in the Spanish West Indies and other parts of Latin America.

 

http://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/silvia-carrera-symbol-dignity-indigenous-women-panama

 

PANAMA - SILVIA CARRERA, SYMBOL OF LEADERSHIP, ADVOCACY, & DIGNITY FOR INDIGENOUS WOMEN

 

Authors: Isidoro Rodriguez and Barbara Sorensen

 

 

Silvia Carrera during a protest.

© Photo by Martin Brusewitz

 

The Ngöbe-Buglé comarca (Indigenous administrativeregion), located in western Panama, is the largest of five Indigenous regions ofthis Central American country. It is home to great wealth, both in mineral(copper) and biotic resources; however, its Indigenous population lives inpoverty and isolation in the absence of adequate state accountability, allowingfor the highest infant mortality rate (55.4%) in the country. To tackle thesepercentages and advocate for the rights of her people, the Ngöbe-Buglé caciquegeneral (chief) Silvia Carrera, has assumed an uncompromising role innegotiating with the Panamanian government.

 

Originally from Cerro Pelado in the Ńürum district of theNgöbe-Buglé comarca, Carrera is 42 years old, and has two sons. After announcingher candidacy for cacique, Carrera traveled around the mountainous region formonths, making herself known and trusted in the widely dispersed Ngöbecommunities. At a young age, she participated in their struggles, includingthose related to health care and education. On September 2011, she succeeded inbecoming the first woman cacique of the Ngöbe. Her election as cacique was amilestone not only in the Ngöbe community, but in all of Latin America, wheremost political leadership positions are held by men. Silvia Carrera’s life storyis one filled with both struggle and inspiration.

“I started working theland when I was 12 and my father taught me how to grow several varieties ofcrops. I planted manioc, yams, rice, beans, and corn to feed my children. Theseskills have been passed down from generation to generation. The Ngöbe-Buglépeople have always lived off the land and this land gives us the resources toraise our children,” says Carrera. At the age of 12, she also joined themovement led by Camilo Ortega, a recognized leader of the Ngöbe in the VeraguasProvince in the years before the existence of the comarca, which fought for theNgöbe-Buglé’s right to autonomy. At 13, she gave birth to her first child,Bernardo Jiménez Carrera, and at 18, she gave birth to Sixto Jiménez Carrera. Ayear later, she separated from her husband, violating patriarchal traditions.Due to lack of financial resources she could not access formal schooling.Despite these challenges, Silvia learned to read and write.

On January31, 2012, the Ngöbe began blocking the Pan-American Highway in an attempt topressure the Panamanian government to prohibit copper mining and hydroelectriccompanies from entering the comarca. On February 5, police violence againstthousands of Ngöbe protesters resulted in two deaths and many injured, forcingthe government finally to negotiate. On February 7, Minister of Government JorgeRicardo Fábrega, representing Panama, signed the San Lorenzo Accord, whileSilvia Carrera, representing many of her people, signed alongside the minister.The accord recognizes the right of the Ngöbe people to make their own decisionsabout mining and development projects within the comarca. As in most politicalsituations, not all Ngöbe supported Carrera’s decision to sign the agreementwith the government as some claimed the agreement only prohibits mining and nothydroelectric dams.

From this tumultuous situation the figure of SilviaCarrera rose as a symbol of determination for the Ngöbe and all Panamanians.Carrera has awakened the admiration of most national and internationalobservers. The media has portrayed her as an exceptional leader, making her theheroine for Panama’s people of humble origins. Many people are now asking her torun for public office in the Panamanian government. Throughout months ofconversations with the Panamanian government, Carrera visited far-flung Ngöbecommunities trying to facilitate unity and consensus for the needs of the entireNgöbe population. At the same time, she communicated with mainstream Panamanianpeople, trying to bridge a nation of extreme contrasts. “We [Ngöbe] just want toreclaim our rights and justice. Most of all, we want to live in peace andtranquility.”

Carrera explains her responsibilities as cacique general,“As cacique general I’m the main authority of the comarca. I constantlycommunicate with the regional congress, the regional caciques, and the public.At the same time, I have to be the bridge between the national government andthe comarca.” Carrera claims she was elected in 2011 because she consulted herpeople first. “It should not be always about promising and promising. I havealways been humble and I couldn’t promise what I would not accomplish. I wasalways truthful with the objectives I wanted to accomplish,” she says. Ngöbepeople face many uphill battles, one of which is access to quality education.Carrera says, “Many people in the region have very limited access to basiceducational facilities. Students have a hard time trying to reach the educationcenters, walking in harsh conditions through the jungle and mountains; a walk toschool can take up to five hours.” Panama’s fast growing economy goeshand-in-hand with the need for more electric power. According to Carrera, theNgöbe-Buglé comarca would not benefit from the construction of a hydroelectricdam. She says, “In regards to the hydroelectric project, what’s happening isthat the government is being unjust to the Ngöbe-Buglés. The government has asignificant interest in this project because it is going to
obtain highprofits from it while leaving nothing for us in the comarca.”

Carrera isadamant when she talks about strategies for dealing with an inflexiblegovernment: “Stand up for what you believe. Just having that strongdetermination can make other people join you in your struggle. This belief hasmade other people around the world with similar ideals and opinions support us.”Cultural Survival members have sent thousands of letters to PresidentMartinelli, urging him to recognize the rights of the Ngöbe people. Carrera saysthat the letters are helping. When asked what she hopes to accomplish during herterm as cacique general, Carrera says, “[In addition] to providing bettereducation, access to healthcare is something that the community is lacking.Child mortality rates are extremely high and if someone is sick it takes fourdays by foot from some regions to reach the nearest healthcare facility. Also,those facilities are lacking resources. There is no medicine, not even the mostbasic painkillers.”

Ngöbe women, in particular, face many challenges.Carrera admits, “Ngöbe culture is machista. There are still people in thecommunity who think that women should not have the same rights as men. But womenhave special points of view and know what is happening with the children andwithin the household. Even if there is discrimination, women should be strongand know that things will be better. There are also many who think women shouldnot hold public office. But even men are supporting me. Before, when men won,they forgot about the local population and started running around in new carsand chasing women. Now with women as leaders, they can focus on thecomarca.”

Carrera’s advice to young Indigenous women is at once achallenge to them, as well as a call to their better natures. “Many young womenwant to be out on the town and forget about the responsibilities and thecommunity. I think that young Indigenous women should be responsible andhonest.” Carrera has confidence that she will see these traits emerge as morewomen leaders step forward.