Country:

Colombia

Region:

Latin America

Date:

2020

Implementor:

ASO-CIT (Association of Arhuaco Authorities of the Sierra Nevada) in collaboration with CNTI (National Commission of Indigenous Territories) in alliance with 12 Indigenous and civil society organizations and the government’s own Attorney General and Ombudsman

Funding Amount:

$49,950

Details:

As a result of SRM funding, ASO-CIT filed 26 legal actions before the Superior Court of the District of Bogotá against the ANT to resolve 69 land titling claims. Out of the 26 legal actions, 10 had favorable rulings, which include processing the requests for expanding 7 existing Indigenous territories and formally recognizing the establishment of 6 territories. 2 of the cases with unfavorable rulings provided enough pressure on the ANT for it to agree to proceed with the formalization of the involved territories. Of the 10 favorable rulings, 2 cases were selected by the Colombian Constitutional Court for further review, providing the critical opportunity to reach a ruling of the “Unconstitutional Status of Indigenous Peoples Territorial Rights.”

With SRM funding, CNTI also filed a case against the Ministry of Interior, which manages the FPIC in Colombia. The case was in response to the Ministry’s new decree involving the use of technological tools (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and others) to implement FPIC with Indigenous and Afro-descendant communities during the COVID-19 crisis, despite the lack of internet access for many IPs across the country. With the timely and strategic action of the CNTI and the support of other IP organizations and the Attorney General, the Decree was withdrawn.