“We hope that we will find the path of total unity, this unity will guarantee the calm and peaceful coexistence of a people to whom we owe a lot as a native people,” said the Minister of the Interior, Alfonso Prada, during his visit to the municipality of Pueblo Bello , where he met with 269 hands of the Arhuaco people, in search of solutions that allow to resolve the internal conflict that this town maintains due to the assignment of Zarawawiko Torres as governor council.
The work table was also attended by the governor of Cesar, Andrés Meza; the mayor of Valledupar, Mello Castro, and the mayor of Pueblo Bello, Danilo Duque, who volunteered as facilitators to expedite this process that seeks to achieve peace among the indigenous people.
The mayor of Valledupar, Mello Castro, commented that the civil authorities’ mission is to be facilitators so that the Arhuacos can resolve their conflicts. “The mamos make decisions and respecting their autonomy, we agree to verify and consolidate their decisions,” added the president.
It is important to remember that last December a group from the Arhuaca community descended from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to Valledupar, where they staged a minga for two days, blocking the way to the capital of Cesar on the Hurtado Spa bridge. There they asked the national government for the recognition of Zarawawiko Torres as governor council and the recognition of other rights that in their opinion are violated by the authorities.
Meanwhile, another sector of this indigenous community opposes the recognition of Torres, which is why the differences persist and through the national government and territorial entities, dialogue is being promoted in search of concrete solutions.