The demonstration took place on August 9, two years after security guards of the place and the public force evicted native peoples representatives who demanded the passing of a bill that recognized their autonomy to govern and live within their territories.

On August 8, there was an event outside the Costa Rican parliament, where they premiered the documentary titled “Autonomy, Land and Freedom”, that describes the indigenous struggle for autonomy that has been taking place for over 18 years. The bill to recognize their autonomy is the one that has been in Parliament the longest waiting to be analyzed by the representatives.

The different indigenous organizations highlighted that during the past 18 years they have been building their autonomy processes from their own communities, without waiting for the passing of any bill about it.

Under the slogan “We are not asking, we are demanding”, FRENAPI also gathered indigenous and non indigenous people outside the Supreme Court of Justice to denounce its silence in terms of the human rights violations suffered by the indigenous people, a consequence in part of the lack of state recognition of their right to self-determination.

Real World Radio’s correspondent in Costa Rica, Henry Picado, recorded the speech by Bribri indigenous Filidencio Cubillo outside the Supreme Court of Justice. Cubillo supported the indigenous demand of autonomy and self-determination. He also said that the representatives of the capitalist system don’t know how to listen to the voices that defend “living well”, that is in contradiction with the “living best, which is living at the expense of others”

Photo: Henry Picado, member of COECOCEIBA – Friends of the Earth Costa Rica.