In many Latin American countries, the human rights of the indigenous people are often ignored or completely neglected in social, environmental, and employment areas. Equality between aboriginals and “mestizo” (Latins of mixed European and Amerindian ancestry) citizens does not exist, affecting the indigenous people’s access to resources and rights. As equal rights are not respected, millions of people are being denied Article 1 (among others) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.” (“Universal Declaration of Human Rights”) However, the tables are turning, as worldwide awareness about natural ecosystem preservation increases. With this, aboriginals in Peru and Ecuador are taking action to conserve their rainforests, which are vital for the survival of their communities.

Firstly, indigenous people have often been deprived of their basic social infrastructure, such as schools and clinics. Due to racial prejudice, many non-aboriginals consider indigenous citizens as inferior to them. (De Machaca) The United Nations found that the education in most aboriginal villages was at a much lower level and quality than most other government schools. (“Indigenous Peoples, Poverty and Human Development in Latin America: 1994-2004″) In Mexico, for instance, indigenous people have an average of 4.6 schooling years, compared to the mean of 7.9 years of school for non-indigenous civilians. (“Latin America – Mexico – Highlights”) Also, Mexico’s indigenous have an illiteracy rate of 24.6%, while the non-indigenous rate is 6.4%. (“Latin America – Mexico – Highlights”) As one Peruvian Amarakaeri aboriginal explained, most of their primary schools are eventually shut down, and no secondary schools existed in her village. (“Amarakaeri”) In Peru, as 43 percent of the population is indigenous, then approximately half of the population is lacking an education, which contributes to the poverty cycle in aboriginal communities. (“Indigenous Peoples, Poverty and Human Development in Latin America: 1994-2004″)

Not having access to secure jobs, indigenous people must sell their crops at meager prices administered by the government. Often times, these governments lower the prices of these crops to benefit mestizo citizens, and the aboriginals then are making practically no income for their work. (“Amarakaeri”) Another example, health clinics are unusual in the rural zones of the Amazon. In Ecuador, the maternal mortality rate is at 250 per 100,000 births. In some of Ecuador’s Andes region, one in ten infants dies before the age of one. (“Working with Indigenous Communities in Ecuador”) Overall, the United Nations found that health care is less accessible in indigenous communities, especially for women and children. (“Indigenous Peoples, Poverty and Human Development in Latin America: 1994-2004″)

In addition, there are excessive mining and oil exploitation attempts that cause the aboriginals to be shoved aside. With the worsening of this problem, different tribes have held protests in Ecuador, Peru, and Chile. (De Machaca) There have been numerous accounts, especially in Peru, where mining companies enter an indigenous area to exploit the land for gold mining. Extracting gold is among one of the most polluting mining procedures, as it involves the use of mercury, a serious toxic substance that finds its way into the rivers. Worse yet, many of these companies do not have permits to mine in the area. (“Oil exploration and gold mining in the Peruvian rainforest”) Nowadays, with a “political awakening” among indigenous tribes, there are more efforts by the aboriginal community to prohibit unofficial miners. (De Machaca) The forest represents the only food and economic source for these tribes, and the ongoing destruction of their ecosystems through mining procedures is common (especially mercury contamination). (“Amarakaeri”) In Ecuador, where 87 to 96 percent of indigenous people live below the poverty line, these rainforests provide them with their only feasible food source. (“Indigenous Peoples, Poverty and Human Development in Latin America: 1994-2004″) Although natives are working hard to protect their environment, the Ecuadorian government, among others, is concurrently dividing rainforest land to distribute it to oil and mining companies. (“Ecuador: CONAIE and Correa Begin Dialogue”)

There is significant discrimination towards indigenous people where employment and economic issues are concerned. Non-indigenous employees in Bolivia earn about 1127 bolivianos monthly, whereas indigenous employees earn about half, or 513 bolivianos. (“Latin America – Bolivia – Highlights”) In Guatemala, non-indigenous women earn 23% less and men 39% less. (“Latin America – Guatemala – Highlights”) In Ecuador, 88% of aboriginal families live below the poverty line. (“Working with Indigenous Communities in Ecuador”) In Panama, up to 98% of these families live on less than $2 a day. (“Risking Death to Give Life in Panama’s Tropical Forests”) This poverty cycle only promotes child labor, an increasing problem. In 2002, 31% of indigenous Bolivian children between ages 9 and 11 worked. (“Latin America – Bolivia – Highlights”) Due to the fact that these children must work, they are forced to leave school. In Ecuador, 1 out of 3 aboriginal children were not attending school. (“Latin America – Ecuador – Highlights”) The problem of inequality in the work force and in the economy forces the indigenous people into the cycle of poverty, and limits their chances of getting an education to stop this cycle.

To conclude, the indigenous communities in Latin America are lacking equality, a fundamental human right. Some progress for aboriginal recognition has been made in Bolivia with the election of the first indigenous President, Evo Morales. Nevertheless, the rights of the aboriginals in South America have lagged behind constitutional reforms that have taken place decades ago in North America to improve the conditions for the indigenous. Only recently have certain tribes received a small amount of ancestral rainforest land in the Amazon. (“Amarakaeri”) As this ancestral land also contains valuable natural resources, Latin American governments want to sell the exploration permits to foreign companies in order to gain profits. Thus, they are reluctant to give this territory to the aboriginal tribes. The lack of justice is only contributing to worsen the social, economic, and cultural gap between the indigenous and the non-aboriginals. There is still a lot of progress to be made in native communities, so they can equally live under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.