Tata Pastor Carvajal
Tata Pastor Carvajal is an aymara indigenous authority from the community Sek’e Jahuira in the town of Viacha, La Paz, Bolivia. As an authority figure, he has led the opposition to the presence of the twenty-six mining companies that illegally settled in Viacha, causing irreversible damage throughout the territory.
Alongside other aymara authorities, he has repeatedly reported this damage to the relevant authorities without receiving a response. As a representative of his community and the Aymara people, he participated in the 24th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, where he raised international awareness of the damage caused to indigenous peoples in his territory by mining pollution and the lack of government action. As a result of his work, he has been subjected to physical attacks, threats and persecution by individuals linked to the mining companies.
The environment for human rights defenders in any sector in Bolivia can be quite hostile. Human rights defenders face continuous attacks, threats and acts of intimidation in the country. The lack of response from the government is particularly worrisome and organisations – especially those which work to denounce human rights violations and abuses by the State – have suffered constant harassment and stigmatisation. Civil society has also denounced the lack of actions taken by the Bolivian State in the search for truth, justice and reparation for the serious human rights violations committed during the 18 years of military rule.
