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| Crisis in Holotaj 2005 During the summer of 2005 an unnamed company began without warning to fence off a large area of forest (at least 5000 hectares) close to Holotaj (known as Tonono in Spanish) threatening to leave it and the neighbouring community of Tsofwachat (Pozo Nuevo) hemmed in by agribusiness on all sides. This is ancestral forest which under Argentine Law belongs to the local indigenous people: any development of it can be carried out only with their permission. The injustice of this development sparked off direct action on the part of the Wichí of Zlaqatahyi, and they began to tear up the fence and to impound a vehicle owned by the company. This action was within the rights of the local community in defence of their property, which was under imminent threat. The communities started a peaceful blockade, supported by other members of the Zlaqatahyi communities, which lasted 52 days. Then on the 8th July, the men set off for Salta to request that the area be declared a Cultural Natural Reserve in accordance with Provincial law no. 7.107. This left mainly women, children and old people behind. However while the men were away, there was a violent response on the part of the police who entered the community of Pozo Nuevo with over 60 heavily armed riot-squad police, wearing bullet-proof vests. They were accompanied by employees of the company (which we now know to be Lazcano and Olivera) who were involved in the initial attempt to fence off the land. They had been granted the deeds to the forest: this is typical of the disconnection in Argentina between the rights of the indigenous peoples on paper and the injustices which they daily receive in practice. The police towed away the impounded van, and then as they left, opened fire, with bullets of rubber and of lead. A village elder, José Galarza was seriously wounded and narrowly escaped with his life: he was hit at point blank range. He was hospitalised and 40 bullets were removed from his body; others had hit him in the cheek and ear. He was said to be a shadow of his former self. (Fifteen months later, to the great sorrow of his community, he died.) His sister was hospitalised after being overcome with tear gas and has also died. The Wichí were all unarmed. The blockade was begun after a series of attempts by the company to pressurise the Wichí of the area to allow the land to be fenced off, including offering to build a village hall in exchange, and on one occasion, offering water to the local children that was contaminated with herbicide. The Wichí have long been used to attempts to dispossess them of their lands; it seems as soon as one battle is over, another opens up. After the terrible events of 8th July 2005, two Wichí (Antonio Cavana and José Galarza) were charged with ‘resisting authority’. At the same time, the three principal victims of the police attack have brought charges against the police for the violence against them. Chacolinks’ anthropological advisor, Dr John Palmer is acting as an interpreter to translate for the Wichí, which is of great help as the Wichí involved have minimal Spanish. For these cases, Chacolinks is providing money for emergency legal support, and paying a small retainer to John for this work of his. Please see the 'legal battles' page on this website for further information. |