The Chancellor’s visit to South America (January 28 to February 1)

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) has demanded German Chancellor Olaf Scholz to place special emphasis on the topic of the rights of the indigenous peoples during his visit to South America, which begins tomorrow. Economic cooperation must not, under any circumstances, lead to restrictions on indigenous rights. During his visit to Brazil, Chile, and Argentina, the chancellor should emphasize this. “Germany should not promote any economic projects that affect the lives and the land of indigenous peoples and other minorities,” stated Dr. Eliane Fernandes, STP expert on indigenous peoples. “Instead, the Federal Republic of Germany should promote projects that aim to support indigenous communities. During the 1990s and 2000s, this was common practice.” One example for this is the Integrated Program for the Protection of the Indigenous Populations and the Lands of the Legal Amazon (Programa Integrado de Proteção às Populacoes e Terras Indígenas da Amazônia Legal – PPTAL). 

Further, the STP emphatically warned that funds of the Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) should not be given to states in the Brazilian Amazon region or in Peru that are known for human rights violations against indigenous communities. “For example, the Governor of the Brazilian state of Acre, Gladson Cameli, massively promoted deforestation,” Fernandes reported. “If the KfW fails to strictly monitor the cooperations that have already started, the funds will contribute to environmental damage and to human rights violations in the settlement areas of indigenous peoples.” In the course of reviving the Amazonas Fund, Germany should demand the Brazilian state to give priority to indigenous projects, as most of the protected areas are located in settlement areas of indigenous communities.

Lastly, Germany must not import raw materials from Brazil, Chile, and Argentina that are connected to human rights violations. German companies should not be allowed to participate in infrastructure and mining projects that are a potential threat to the indigenous population and to the environment.