How political exclusion affects Colombia’s afro-descendant minority

How political exclusion affects Colombia’s afro-descendant minority
Mar 6, 2014 posted by Maren Soendergaard

A historic lack of political representation in Colombia’s political system is one of the key focuses in the ongoing social, political and economic struggle of the Afro-Colombian community.

With 5 million people, or 10.6% of the total population, Colombia has the largest Afro-descendant population in Latin America, behind only Brazil, according to a 2005 census. There are, however, serious difficulties in quantifying blackness, given the mixed ethnic backgrounds of many Colombians. The stigma associated with African descent in much of the country leads mixed-race individuals to identify away from their Afro roots, and unofficial figures place the Afro-Colombian community at as high as 25% of the total population.

In comparison, Congress, comprised of a 102-seat Senate and 166-seat House of Representatives, only holds two reserved seats for Afro-Colombians in the lower chamber.

“In Colombia, there is a great lack of (Afro) political representation, in the different instances of power and decision-making at the national, regional and local levels,” said Edwin Salcedo, a Senate candidate for the Green Alliance (Alianza Verde – AV) and longtime Afro-Colombian rights advocate, in an interview with Colombia Reports.

More:
http://colombiareports.co/afro-colombian-political-exclusion-effects-social-indicators/