The Rights of Indigenous Peoples: Latin America

Hearing Notice

Please join the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission for the first in a series of hearings on the rights of indigenous peoples. The hearing will explore the serious challenges faced by indigenous peoples in Latin America, which threaten their communities, their health and property, as well as traditional knowledge and culture.

According to estimates by the United Nations, there are between 300 million and 370 million indigenous peoples in over 70 countries. They represent an important facet of the world’s cultural fabric, with unique ways of life, distinct identities and different economic and political traditions. Despite the differences among indigenous communities, they continue to face common global threats and injustices as they have throughout their history. These threats range from expropriation and destruction of traditional livelihoods, to forced assimilation and migration, racial discrimination and exclusion from political participation and self-determination.

The Universal Declaration on Human Rights guarantees fundamental rights of all human beings, but many indigenous peoples remain without effective protection. As a result of an almost 22-year process, the international community finally further clarified indigenous rights in the 2007 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which lacks the enforceability and monitoring of a U.N. Convention.

If you have any questions, please contact Hans Hogrefe (Rep. McGovern) or Elizabeth Hoffman (Rep. Wolf) at 202-225-3599.

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