UN urges action against forced indigenous labour in Bolivia, Paraguay

Source: United Nations

UN urges action against forced indigenous labour in Bolivia, Paraguay
Victoria Tauli-Corpuz

31 August 2009 – The indigenous peoples of the Chaco region of neighbouring Bolivia and Paraguay are often trapped into forced labour practices and face discrimination, severe poverty and in some cases systematic violence, the United Nations reported today, calling on the two countries to take urgent action to protect those groups’ human rights.
The UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues voiced grave concern today as it released the reports from the recent visits to Bolivia and Paraguay of a mission comprising Permanent Forum members as well as experts from a series of UN agencies and departments.

The mission found that while the Governments of the two countries have taken some steps to deal with the problem of forced labour, additional and immediate action is necessary, given the severity of the situation.

Victoria Tauli-Corpuz, Chairperson of the Permanent Forum, said the mission found that a response is needed both at the national level and across international borders to help the indigenous of the Chaco, a relatively arid and remote plain in central South America.

“A strong message must be sent by the two national governments to the local governments and land owners of the Chaco region,” she said. “It is unacceptable for any sector of society to be subjected to forced labour and other abuses.”




Read more: http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=31892&Cr=indigenous&Cr1=

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For more reading on forced labor in Bolivia, you will find information on American rancher from Montana, Ronald Larsen, one of the largest landowners in Bolivia who has refused to let government agents onto his property, even shooting at them, and using his employees as security guards to keep them out when they have gone to try to determine the status of Guarani people whose ancestors lived on that property prior to the Bolivian President selling the land right out from under them, starting in the 1960's. They remained on the land and are used by Larsen to build his buildings on each of his three ranches or his sons' ranches, and do ALL of the work for less than poverty wages, maintaining a desperately inadequate level of living standards.

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Duston Larsen, one of the "Mr. Bolivia" contest winners,
and US fraternity boy, Montana educated son of Ronald Larson.

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Reuters Pictures 14 months ago
Guaranis are seen near Caraparicto land , property of U.S.-born rancher Ronald Larsen,
near the town of Camiri June 10, 2008. Together with other land owners in eastern Bolivia,
Larsen has vowed to fight plans by the leftist government of Evo Morales to seize large,
"idle" land holdings to redistribute them among the poor. Picture taken June 10, 2008.

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They and others in this condition been the subject of articles written on forced labor in Latin America.

Links:
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/09/world/americas/09bolivia.html

http://casa-del-duderino.blogspot.com/2008/05/meet-ronald-larsen-pobre-patrn.html