The IACHR calls for respect for the human rights of indigenous peoples

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) urged its member states to guarantee full respect for the human rights of indigenous peoples in the Americas on the occasion of the celebration of their international day on August 9.

The IACHR requested "full respect for the human rights of indigenous peoples in situations of voluntary isolation and initial contact" because they are in a situation of "high vulnerability," the organization said in a statement.

«The lack of protection of their human rights implies a serious risk to their life and physical, cultural and spiritual integrity."the note insisted.

"Indigenous peoples in voluntary isolation and initial contact in the Americas inhabit regions of the Amazon rainforest and the Gran Chaco in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela," recalled the IACHR.

The Commission explained that their territories are "often" areas where natural resource extraction activities are carried out, both legally and illegally, and where agricultural and livestock exploitation is carried out.

«These activities (oil and mining) in general constitute a threat to the life and integrity of these peoples, since they can encourage contact, with all the consequences that this implies for their health and physical and cultural survival.", he adds.

The Commission calls on Member States to defend these peoples who do not have "immunological defences against common diseases" and whose contact with developed peoples can cause damage to both their cultural identity and their health, causing "epidemics that can lead to the disappearance of entire peoples."

«Peoples in voluntary isolation exercise their right to free self-determination by staying away from mainstream societies. Respect for this right and the principle of non-contact is essential to ensure the observance of their fundamental rights, including the right to life and personal integrity.", he points out.

«States must take special care when adopting measures to guarantee territories of sufficient size and quality to peoples in voluntary isolation, and have the duty to adopt culturally appropriate preventive public health measures to preserve the life and integrity of indigenous peoples."insists the IACHR.