From: Dan Delgado
By Dan Delgado for the Communications Committee for English-speaking residents of Cotacachi
I spoke with Jefe Politico Ronny Moreno Saturday afternoon and he offered to set up a security workshop specifically for English-speaking residents in the El Batan Indigenous community. He said that New Residents in Indigenous areas, and almost anywhere outside town limits, also may not realize they need to contribute to Mingas, and to Community Security efforts, (response to alarms, community meetings etc.). A Minga is a regularly scheduled community work detail and if not for these, there would be no roads or water distribution systems on the mountainsides at all. The Municipal Authority does not clear the Indigenous roads whenever trees or boulders fall.
Moreno cited me Article 171 of the constitution:
The authorities of the indigenous communities, peoples, and nations shall perform jurisdictional duties, on the basis of their ancestral traditions and their own system of law, within their own territories, with a guarantee for the participation of, and decision-making by, women. The authorities shall apply their own standards and procedures for the settlement of internal disputes, as long as they are not contrary to the Constitution and human rights enshrined in international instruments.
The State shall guarantee that the decisions of indigenous jurisdiction are observed by public institutions and authorities. These decisions shall be subject to monitoring of their constitutionality. The law shall establish the mechanisms for coordination and cooperation between indigenous jurisdiction and regular jurisdiction.
In the opinion of several people I have spoken with, good Indigenous community relations should be fostered by developers before construction begins and should be cultivated continuously and for the long term, including by the people subletting or staying temporarily. Mr Moreno said it would be worth it to explain the whole system to the gringos living in Indigenous areas. What I gathered so far is that the first line of defense in the mountain communities is the mountain community.
Moreno implied also that the police are not supposed to interfere in Indigenous areas and that their interference looks bad for everyone involved. One thing that victims can do is file the “Denuncia” with the Police Commissioner’s Office. Depending on the value of the property stolen, this could then go to the Fiscal (Prosecutor) who has investigative power. However Article 189 is pretty clear as to what would happen if gringos were to catch a thief,
In no case can (Justices of the Peace) prevail over indigenous justice.
It’s possible that regular justice takes over after Indigenous but we should let him explain.
Also, as of the 22nd of March, the police are coordinating security workshops in Barrio’s of the city and we could ask them to schedule one for Primavera II and other gringos in our Barrio which is called “Oriental Fase II”.
Moreno told me a long time ago that he is organizing Auxiliary Units and would like to see English-speakers work together with the police for better security.
Each Barrio area, or parish that requests it, will be getting its own security workshop. Mr. Moreno feels that too large a meeting will not allow for real communication. The “complexes” outside the town limits, and within Indigenous territory, are a special situation and new residents need to be better-informed. The leader, or leaders, of the complexes need a completely new perspective on this. The police can do little and even less so, if the walled-community people remain isolated.
Representatives of Colonia El Batan, and maybe some of the other complexes like Jahua Pacha, can get in touch with me I can help set up and maybe translate for a meeting with Moreno, but this is only to explain procedures and boundaries. Hopefully this could lead to more efforts to integrate. Otherwise another option would be private security. I am glad to hear the cops went up the hill at all on the night of the robbery. Surprised- actually also.
Dan Delgado for the Communications Committee for English-speaking residents of Cotacachi
Tel: 08 125 1525