A non-governmental organization has embarked on a new informational campaign that aims to highlight the issues confronting the indigenous populations of the Kekoldi Indigenous Reserve in Costa Rica.
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Afro Costa Rica has announced the launch of a new informational initiative calling on the Costa Rican government to resolve the issue of land ownership in the reserve, whose original borders were restored by the country’s Supreme Court. The organization said that the campaign aims to help affected indigenous peoples and Afro-descendants who are still waiting for action after the ruling was made.
More information is available at https://afrocostarica.com/resumen-kekoldi/
The campaign is part of a larger effort to "illuminate" the rights of indigenous and Afro-descendant communities in Costa Rica through education, collaboration, and technology. Afro Costa Rica also aims to guide these communities towards beneficial government structures that could help them resolve longstanding conflicts, such as that present in the Kekoldi Reserve.
"At present, the land conflict at the reserve might seem like a case between indigenous peoples and Afro-Costa Ricans," a spokesperson for the organization said. "We want to highlight that this was caused by a series of government mistakes, which is why we're appealing to authorities for a prompt resolution and return the land to their original owners."
The Kekoldi Indigenous Reserve was created in 1977 by virtue of an executive decree. The land conflict, however, didn't start until another executive decree in 1996, where the government freed up 1,244 hectares of land near the coast while extending the reserve westward. This action then led to the indigenous peoples initiating legal proceedings against the state to return the land originally granted to them by the 1977 decree.
The country's highest court sided with the plaintiffs in a 2019 decision that ordered the return of the 1977 boundaries while retaining the areas added in 1996. "This decision, while in favor of the reserve's indigenous inhabitants, created a new conflict where there was none before," Afro Costa Rica's spokesperson said.
They explained that the Kekoldi's indigenous peoples are struggling with a land recovery process involving the non-indigenous owners of the land, who bought parcels following the 1996 government decision.
Those interested in learning more about the issue and how to help Kekoldi's indigenous peoples are encouraged to visit https://afrocostarica.com/
Contact Info:
Name: Layli Brown
Email: Send Email
Organization: Afro Costa Rica
Address: Playa Puerto Viejo Standford Square, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Puerto Viejo de Talamanca, Limón Province 70403, Costa Rica
Phone: +506-8746-1562
Website: https://afrocostarica.com/
Source: NewsNetwork
Release ID: 89127020
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