Today I return to my ancestral territory; Alta Guajira, back home again with my mother and my loved ones, here where my umbilical cord is connected to my ancient origin, to my deep essence of a Wayuu woman, where my Ei’ruuku (my mother’s flesh) is , our matrilineal family institution).
By: Ana Delia Fernández Sijonoyu – Woman from the Wayuu people / apcbolivia.org
Here, from where many of us have had to leave for the city in search of better opportunities, in search of food for the survival of the relatives that we left struggling here in our territory, in the search to learn another language apart from our wayuunaiki ( Wayuu language) in order to have access to studies and other knowledge. In the search for jobs that help us improve the living conditions of our family.
From here today I give you my vote for the hope of the entire Colombian people, for the hope of all the women who fight tirelessly to safeguard their territory, their culture, their spirituality, for the hope of my Wayuu people, above all, for the dreams of all Wayuu youth and childhood. We have all that hope today in you PETRO, and in you FRANCE.
In all ways they have told us, the Afro, indigenous, peasant people, all of us who come from below, above all they have told us women; that we are not capable of directing even our own lives, much less directing a country. We know what we are capable of, that is enough to continue weaving life and peace in our territory. We have done it for more than 500 years through our struggles as ancient peoples.
We have been able to guarantee the diversity and cultural richness that sustains the universe today. Today you show all of Colombia and the world that those who come from below, those who really know, feel, have experienced the pain and struggles in the territory, can also become president and vice president of a country.
France, today you have shown once again to all of Colombia and to humanity that women are very capable, possess wisdom and courage to meet all the challenges that arise to make their best contribution to the well-being of peoples. and many times with hard work silently, invisible, without noise, surprising her with her territorial struggles as you have done.
You two represent us, you represent the fighting people, of whom we are the majority, you represent those women and men who arduously, day by day, strive in their territories and weave a fairer world where the life of all living beings is sacred, where we live together through harmonious dialogue, where we cultivate respect for the life of all human and non-human beings (mountains, plants, rivers, territory…).
Petro, you come from where I am, those who fight for a decent life, those who yearn to dream of being able to complete a university academic level, those who wish to return to the territory to make their best contribution to the development of the peoples. I know that you reached a higher level of academic training through scholarships that you managed to acquire with much effort and struggle.
You are clear that in order to reach a high level of development in a country, a quality education up to the higher university level must first be guaranteed free of charge to all Colombian youth, where they have access and can study in the area they want. , where the country can count on professionals in various areas to be the main actors, protagonists in the construction of a powerful country for life, where everyone can live tasty as France proposes.
What the Colombian people need most is education, what they have been denied the most. That is why I applaud your highest and most important government proposal; the democratization of free university education for all Colombian youth and people.
Wayuu youth need to have greater access to university education, just as many practicing teachers today need higher education so that they can provide quality education based on the strengthening of the cultural identity of the Wayuu people. A proper education that stops the colonizing education that today the western educational system imposes on girls, boys and young people in educational institutions that are in indigenous territory.
The lowest figure at the national level without access to higher education is found in the Wayuu people, according to the latest population and housing census carried out by the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) of 2018.
It has been more than 500 years of struggles, here we continue. Today is an attempt once again in the collective search for the crystallization of all the desires and dreams of the Colombian people, of the Afro people, peasants, of the original people, especially of us women who suffer in greater depth the difficulties of our families in the territory; We are the owners of the pain of our children, brothers, parents, of the communities, of the people.
Today accompanied by the protective spirits of these beautiful mountains that rest in front of our house, from here where the strong winds that walk along the imposing Caribbean Sea beaches return dancing; I vote for all the HOPE OF THE COLOMBIAN PEOPLE, for the HOPE OF ALL ABYA YALA (America) AND THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY FOR THE HOPE OF MY WAYUU PEOPLE.
Letter for FRANCE and PETRO. From Alta Guajira, Ancestral Territory of the Wayuu People