April 16th 2020 – Tuntiak Katan Jua speaks out about the current situation of COVID-19 and the defense of life and livelihoods in the Amazon basin. Tuntiak Katan Jua is an indigenous leader of the Shuar Nation of Ecuador and is the Vice Coordinator of the Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA). Tuntiak also serves as General Coordinator of the “Global Alliance of Territorial Communities” made up of four international indigenous organizations that cover more than 600 million hectares of tropical forests. Tuntiak highlights three key focus areas of indigenous rights in the context of the coronavirus pandemic:
- Complete, reliable and culturally appropriate information regarding the severity of the pandemic and steps to protect communities.
- Food sovereignty and safety.
- Guarantee territorial rights for Indigenous Peoples.
Tuntiak ends his statement by appealing for unity:
«The Amazon is in danger and we need the support of indigenous and non-indigenous organizations, of public organizations, of legal organizations. Help us to safeguard the cultures and peoples of the Amazon Basin.»