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In
the area of Bahía Málaga, there are five communities represented by the
Community Council of the Black Community La Plata, Community Council of
the Black Community Juanchaco, the Community Council of the Black Community Ladrilleros, the Community Council of the Black Community La Barra and the Community Council of the Black Community in Port of Spain - Miramar.
The
first community, La Plata, located on the inside of the Bay is made up of
Afro-Colombian people with an economy based on fishing, agriculture for
local consumption, and extraction of timber for housing, boats and local sales to neighboring communities. For their own system of government they have, by code of procedure, a Plan of Administration for the Management
of Natural Resources as well as established regulations for the management of eco-tourism in
its territory, which now has an area of 7,000 hectares collectively
entitled by law 70 of 1993 and Decree 1745 of 1995. As of now they are taking legal measures for the national government to recognize the 25,000 hectares of their ancestral lands for collective titling.
The
second community, Juanchaco, located on the outside of the Bay with 1500 metros
of beach, consists of 98% Afro-Colombian and 2% mixed
race people from interior businesses that own shops and hotels. Recently it has been frequented by Indigenous traveling the banks of the river of San Juan who come to sell
handicrafts made from palm fibers to the tourists visiting the area. The
economy is based primarily on fishing,
and to a lessor extent, tourism in the high season. They also practice subsistence agriculture and timber extraction with some work with artisanal crafts. Their system of government also has a Plan of Administration for the Management of National Resources and are also fighting for legal recognition of their territory in the form of a collective, recently negated by the implementation of Law 55 in 1966.
The
third community, Ladrilleros, is located on the outside of the Bay with 3km
of beach and cliffs, and consists of 95% Afro-Colombian and 3% mestizo (mixed race). There are also made up of 2% indigenous, Waunan,
from the banks of the San Juan river who are engaged in selling crafts made of palm
fiber extracted from the forest.
The
economy is based on tourism with a large
number of hotel infrastructure is in the hands of mestizos, many of whom arrived over the last 15 years. Formerly modest tourist accommodations were run by ethnic Afro-Colombian. After tourism the economy is based on hunting, agriculture and subsistence fishing, as well as the extraction and sale of wood for local construction and
home repair. Their form of government represented by a
Community Council also has a Plan of Administration for the Management of Natural Resources, which also manages ecotourism in the area consisting of canoe trips through the estuaries of Arrastradero and Sardinero. The Community Council of Ladrilleros is also fighting for the
national government to legally recognize Law 70 of 1993 and Decree 1745 of 1995
which calls for the collective titling of their ancestral lands, unfairly being denied by
Law 55 of 1966.
The
fourth community, La Barra, is also located just outside of Bay, and has 3km of beach connected (in low tide) to the beach of Ladrilleros. The community is made up of 99% Afro-Colombians and 1% mestizos from inside the country whom have also built cabins and hotels for the tourist season. The economy of La Barra is based on fishing, subsistence
farming and logging and timber extraction for local use. Their system of self-government also has a Plan of Administration for the Management of Natural Resources. Combined with Juanchaco and Ladrilleros, they are also struggling to achieve
legal status for the government to collectively title their ancestral
territory, also denied through Law 55 of 1966.
The
fifth community, Port of Spain - Miramar, is located at the mouth of Rio San Juan
and has approximately 5km of beach that separates it from the estuary of La
Barra. This community is constituted of 100% Afro-descendants. Its economy
is based on artisanal fishing, subsistence farming, and the cutting and extraction of timber for sale. Port of Spain - Miramar as well has a Plan of Administration for the Management Plan Natural Resources, and are fighting for control of their ancestral lands which are being denied through Law 55.
In order to learn more about how these communities are affected by Law 55 and law 70 in terms of the titling of their ancestral lands, please follow these links:
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