Background
- Introduction
- Rich Lands and Culture
- Oxfam in South America
RICH LANDS AND CULTURE
The countries in Oxfam America's South America regional program are the poorest in the Andes. Indigenous people, who make up 46 percent of the population, are victims of social and racial discrimination, and are routinely denied access to government services. Most live on ancestral lands that are biologically diverse and fragile.
Faced with growing financial pressure, governments are eager to exploit the resources that lie beneath these three countries' lands—such as oil, gas, gold, silver, and copper—as well as valuable trees and diverse plants on the surface.
Governments in South America retain sub-surface mineral rights, so indigenous territories can be passed to international oil, gas, and mining companies. International laws require consultation with indigenous people about how their lands are used, but this is not well enforced in the region.
The indigenous people of the South America regional program have a rich culture and history that spans centuries; however, modern society makes them feel backward, and devalues the way they live and work. They live in extreme poverty, despite the richness of their lands.