AWASQA

  • Reconnecting with Pacha: Photographic Essay

    For millennia, people have integrated agriculture into their way of life. The communities of the altiplano have a special connection with the land because it provides them with food. For this reason, Aymara culture is strongly linked to rituals such as the challa,[1] at carnivals and in August, which is the month of Pachamama. …

  • Climate Crisis: Impact on Communities along the River Basins in Pastaza in 2024

    The climate crisis is a reality for indigenous territories and for the world. In the last 10 years, this crisis has unleashed a significant number of problems that affect the central Amazon, where communities must face many difficulties due to severe climate change: one of them is my community Unión Base in the Puyo province,…

  • Caminando hacia el monte

    “They say there are mushrooms in the hills…”

    “They talked about God in the woods, the fog was heavy and strangely warm, I don’t believe in god, and yet I am amazed to the point of superstition at the sheer beauty of this world.”—Julio Delgado, personal communication, 2023 When the first thunder rumbles through the earth and echoes through the ravines, the ladies…

  • Baucis Forest Refuge: Anti-speciesist, Landback, and Dissident Resistance in Gulumapu (Chile)

    Near the coast of Valdivia (Chile), one can find the anti-speciesist Baucis Forest Refuge (Refugio Bosque Baucis), an animal sanctuary founded and maintained by a group of gender-diverse people. It houses around 40 rescued animals, among them, dogs, cats, chickens, sheep, geese, ducks, and pigs. The refuge was named after Emilia Milen “Bau” Obrecht, a…

  • Arroyo Palenque

    The Palenque Creek: A Stream of Traditions Emanating Identity

    In the community of Palenque, a natural treasure flows vigorously through the entire territory: the Palenque stream. But this body of water goes beyond its basic function as a water source. For the Palenqueros, the stream is the very soul of their community, shaping not only their physical environment but also their identities, social relations…

  • Mining without consent

    Mining Without Consent: A Documentary from Oaxaca, Mexico

    Mining represents a serious threat to indigenous communities in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico. In the Central Valleys, 12 communities have organized to confront this problem and to defend their territories and dignity. However, despite presenting evidence, testimonies, and records, and in violation of the communities’ right to self-determination, the federal government, through the Mexican Ministry…

  • December 7: One Year after the Great Peasant and Indigenous Revolt

    December 7 marks one year since the attempted coup of former President Pedro Castillo and his subsequent removal from office by Congress. As of this date, Dina Boluarte assumed the presidency of Peru and immediately established an alliance with the most conservative, mafia-like people who lost the 2021 presidential elections. Congress also quickly abandoned an…

  • Latin American Organizations Present at the United Nations the Impact of 28 Chinese Projects in Latin America

    A delegation of 10 representatives from the Collective on Chinese Financing and Investments, Human Rights, and the Environment (CICDHA), along with 35 other Latin American organizations, presented the report tittled: “Chinese Business Activities and Human Rights in Latin America: Cases in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Venezuela” at the UN headquarters…