Bogota, Colombia – Hundreds of Indigenous protesters have converged on Tercer Milenio Park within the coronary heart of the Colombian capital, with music taking part in and smoke from campfires wafting by means of the air.

Members of the so-called “Minga” – a collective motion of Indigenous peoples – have organised protests in Bogota many occasions earlier than, however that is their first demonstration throughout the administration of left-wing President Gustavo Petro.

This week, they travelled with a easy – albeit urgent – demand: finish an ongoing wave of violence that has disproportionately affected Indigenous individuals in Colombia, whose communities stretch throughout almost each area, from Narino to Amazonia.

Forward of the principle protest march on Wednesday, demonstrator Viviana Guerrera Stated whereas she supported Petro in final yr’s elections, she felt “extraordinarily dissatisfied” by a scarcity of progress in curbing violence in her residence area of Cauca, which has lengthy been a focus of battle.

“Each authorities must be held accountable,” Guerrera, a member of the Nasa Indigenous neighborhood, advised Al Jazeera from the park, the place organisers on Tuesday estimated that greater than 12,000 individuals had already gathered.

“This authorities isn’t any exception.”

Ongoing violence

Petro, who took workplace in August 2022, has promised to pursue what he calls “complete peace” in a rustic that’s nonetheless grappling with the results of almost six a long time of inside armed battle.

His plan, which includes each navy motion and direct negotiations with prison Armed Teams, has thus far yielded blended outcomes.

A six-month ceasefire with the biggest remaining insurgent group in Colombia, the Nationwide Liberation Military (ELN), which was celebrated as a political victory in August, has thus far held.

However various casual ceasefires with different armed teams this yr have since collapsed, and violence in rural areas has largely continued unabated.

The World Witness advocacy group not too long ago designated Colombia as essentially the most harmful nation on the planet for land defenders and environmental activists final yr – and a disproportionate variety of these focused leaders come from Indigenous communities.

In response to statistics from the United Nations Workplace for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), greater than 37,000 individuals throughout the nation have been affected by violence between January and September of this yr.

Greater than 43,000 others additionally have been displaced by threats from armed teams or open combating, the UN company discovered. Colombian human rights watchdog Indepaz places the displacement determine at greater than twice that.

Nonetheless, each organisations agree that Indigenous communities make up roughly half of all these displaced or affected by the violence, regardless of representing simply 3.5 p.c of the inhabitants.

The Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca (CRIC), one of many teams that organised the Minga, has referred to as for an “Indigenous, social and in style wrestle” towards what it described as a “fixed violation of human rights” and the killings of Indigenous and social leaders.

“We’ve got come to work, in a grand meeting, to assist this authorities in ‘complete peace’ and type a pact to cease conflict and bloodshed,” Joe Sauco, a senior consultant of the CRIC, stated throughout a information convention on Tuesday.

“We wish to assist a means out of this tragic scenario that rejects violence.”

Damaged guarantees

The temper in Tercer Milenio Park has been festive, with youngsters operating by means of the realm.

Members of Colombia’s Indigenous Guard, an unarmed safety pressure that usually confronts armed teams working close to Indigenous communities, additionally stood watch on the primary entrance in the course of downtown Bogota on Tuesday.

The march on Wednesday is about to coincide with avenue demonstrations referred to as by Petro in assist of various his reform payments, which have largely stalled in Congress. Some leaders on the Minga publicly referred to as for assist for the president’s administration.

However Eduardo Rojas, who travelled 14 hours by bus from Amazonia to take part within the rally, denounced what he stated have been false guarantees from Petro.

“We elected this authorities,” he advised Al Jazeera, referring to the overwhelming assist Petro’s presidential marketing campaign loved amongst Indigenous voters. “However what we have been offered, and the truth of what we received, are two very various things.”

Rojas stated his neighborhood within the area of central Amazonia has seen little progress in halting assaults from prison armed teams, which he stated forcibly recruit members and commit extortion and sexual violence.

Nonetheless, he stated the Minga’s reception within the capital this yr was completely different from previous editions. “I’ve attended dozens of Mingas since my first as a younger man in 1971,” he stated. “And we have been usually perceived as invaders by the nationwide authorities.

“As all the time, this time we have now are available in peace. I really feel that this authorities is aware of that.”

‘Logistical and social problem’

Elizabeth Dickinson, a senior Andes analyst on the Worldwide Disaster Group think-tank, stated the frustrations expressed by Rojas are removed from unusual amongst Indigenous individuals in Colombia.

She attributed it, partly, to a scarcity of communication between the federal authorities and civil society. “The best way that ‘complete peace’ has been rolled out has been very prime down,” Dickinson advised Al Jazeera.

“And in some methods this hasn’t had a lot direct impression on rural communities. Implementing safety programmes in these areas can be an enormous logistical and social problem.”

Dickinson additionally stated that there have been missteps. “It was a strategic mistake for the federal government to grant broad ceasefires earlier this yr with out severe concessions from armed teams,” she stated.

“And prison organisations took benefit of this by digging in and fortifying their presence slightly than disarming.”

Nonetheless, for Rojas, this week’s march is an opportunity to focus public consideration in Colombia on the violence confronted by Indigenous communities. “The federal government should ship what it promised,” he stated. “And I’ll hold attending Mingas till they do.”