A few weeks ago, many voices from the London-based diaspora expressed what “the invasion, genocide and colonisation” of the indigenous peoples of Latin America meant and still means. There they also condemned the horror that, with impunity, is being perpetrated against the Palestinian people.
12 October 1492 was the beginning of colonisation through the invasion of Latin American lands, the plundering of their natural resources and the exploitation of their ancestors’ labour.
This is the understanding of Plataforma 12 de Octubre (P12O) and other organisations for whom “white supremacist racism was institutionalised throughout the European colony”.
According to their public communiqué, “the policies of inhuman exploitation and crimes against our native peoples, and those forcibly brought from Africa as slaves, caused the greatest genocide and ethnocide recorded in our history, resulting in the death of approximately 56 million people (90%) of the indigenous population”. Along these lines, they consider that Latin America continues to suffer from these actions that have generated inequality, social injustice, destruction of ecosystems and deep poverty among its peoples. They believe, therefore, that “only the unity and solidarity of all the peoples of Abya Yala (Latin America) – will make us stronger to achieve our true independence and self-determination”.
For all these reasons, on 12 October they decided to commemorate the 532 years since the Spanish invaded and colonised the indigenous peoples of Latin America.
They did this through three activities that took place in London: the anti-colonial route, a public event and a “popular gathering of resistance”.
The route consisted of a collective walk that began in front of the Israeli Embassy, passed by the Spanish Embassy, the Christopher Columbus statue and some university institutions, international businesses, offices of extractive mega-companies, until arriving at Trafalgar Square.
The public event took place in Trafalgar Square and began with an ancestral spiritual ceremony and then gave way to the speeches from different organisations, including the Abya Yala and Palestinian collectives. The event closed with another ancestral spiritual ritual.
The “popular gathering of resistance” took place at Elephant & Castle, a traditional setting for the Latin American diaspora. This activity included ancestral spiritual and cultural expressions and music of resistance.
The planning and organisation of the three events was led by P12O, Somos Semillas – Institución de Educación Popular, the London representation of the Sa’t Tama Kiwe people, and Territorio Ancestral del Pueblo Nasa – as part of the Consejo Regional Indígena del Cauca (CRIC-Colombia) -, among other organisations and internationalists.
Solidarity with Palestine
The organisers of the 12 October commemoration (known in various regions as “Race Day”), took the opportunity to express their solidarity with the Palestinian people, the West Bank and Lebanon.
“We condemn Israel’s bombing and occupation, which seeks to intentionally destroy the Palestinian people, as acts of genocide,” they said.
They explained that the US and the UK “have given Israel the total impunity it needs to carry out its genocidal war in full view of the world. They send it funds, weapons, volunteer colonisers, mercenaries and military intelligence. The Labour government spins the false narrative of the right to self-defence when the State of Israel is clearly the aggressor. Starmer and Lammy are a disgrace and are complicit in the genocide.”
Finally, and after joining the condemnation made by the Cuban and Colombian governments of Israel’s genocide against the Palestinian people, they called on all governments to “assume their leadership and cut all ties with Israel, although we know that what really matters is the mobilisation of the grassroots to achieve true change.
(Translated by Rene Phelvin: Email: renephelvin @gmail.com) – Photos provided by Plataforma 12 de Octubre and authorised for publication, copyright free.
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