WUNRN
CACIQUE
- An Indian chief or political leader, especially in the Spanish West Indies
and other parts of Latin America.
PANAMA - SILVIA CARRERA, SYMBOL OF
LEADERSHIP, ADVOCACY, & DIGNITY FOR INDIGENOUS WOMEN
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.