Steinmeier in South America (February 28)

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) demands German Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to use his visit to South America to draw attention to human rights violations against Indigenous peoples there. At the beginning of his visit, on February 28, he will travel to Uruguay – and then to Paraguay and Chile.

“Please use your visit to advocate for the rights of the Ayoreo in Paraguay and the rights of the Mapuche in Chile. Both Indigenous peoples are threatened by economic projects that violate their territorial rights and are a threat to their livelihood. Make it clear that Germany demands its economic partners to respect Indigenous rights,” the STP appealed in a letter to Steinmeier.

“In Paraguay, massive deforestation for the agricultural industry continues unabated – especially in the territory of the Ayoreo, the last Indigenous community in voluntary isolation outside the Amazon Basin,” stated Jan Königshausen, STP expert on Indigenous peoples.  Due to extensive livestock farming, especially soy cultivation, the region is being destroyed at an alarming rate. “The Mercosur agreement is likely to exacerbate this trend. If the Paraguayan export sector benefits from trade facilitation, there will be even more pressure on indigenous areas. Germany must guarantee not to import products that were produced on illegally deforested areas,” Königshausen warned.

“In Chile, the situation of the Indigenous peoples is becoming increasingly precarious, too. The Chilean government is still promoting large-scale economic projects on indigenous land, focusing on the forestry industry or on the European ‘Green New Deal’ and the energy turnaround, for example with wind farms or lithium mining projects,” Königshausen criticized. One example is the extension of wind energy projects in the Wallmapu, the traditional settlement area of the Mapuche. In 2016, the German company wpd started operating wind farms in the regions Biobío and Malleco, which were already suffering from the consequences of intensive forestry. “Renewable energy must not become the new instrument of land grabbing. The transition to sustainable energy must take place in accordance with the rights of Indigenous peoples, not on their backs,” Königshausen emphasized.

“In the discussions between Steinmeier and the governments of Paraguay and Chile, but also in Uruguay, the aspect of human rights must not be overlooked. Steinmeier should emphasize that the German government condemns the displacement and expulsion of Indigenous communities and strongly advocates for the rights of Indigenous peoples,” Königshausen added. Germany must ensure that its economic interests do not come at the expense of indigenous rights and environmental standards, especially in connection with the planned Mercosur agreement and other bilateral economic projects.