Cocalero

In this week’s film entitled  “Cocalero” we see Evo Morales running for president to save the indigenous people’s coca growing plant in Bolivia. As the United States wants to step in to avoid the drug use of cocaine we see from the Bolivian citizens that the use of coca is a dependent crop and without it they have nothing.

In the first reading Field describes in the newspaper article the life of the Quichua’s who wanted a resolution of the land disputes. This leads to a group to be started  known as the Confederation of Indigenous Nationalities of Ecuador. The dependency of native farmers was pointed out when the indigenous people decided to blockade certain major routes. The act of kidnapping police officials and governors to settle these land disputes occurred. The central government sent in police officials to arrest and imprisoned the indigenous people mainly leaders of the CONAIE. We see the petroleum export also takes part in contributing to the takeover of indigenous lands. Another source that the Indians face in protecting and fighting for lands that truly belong to them at one point but now it seems that is no longer the case. The refusal of the Ecuadorian party to let their lands, cultural, and lifestyle to die out shows that the true winners of this battle are the Indians. Reflecting from the film “Cocalero” and the uprising of CONAIE reminds that disputes over native lands and the attempt of modernazation to these cultures occur. These issues can be resolved by allowing the natives to live as they once did leaving their culture to live on for our future generations to see.

In Sawyer’s article we tend to see a different light of perspective were the coming together to support the movement occurs. We see female elders who march to support their ancestors, highland communities supported and welcomed the march in their highland societies, police, the red cross, white mestizo enclaves, support with food and water was given, as well as President Cavello who denied the lands to the Indians supported the march. We the side of the fight from the Indians perspective instead of an overview from a third party. The similarities between the film and the movie incorporate the harshness the indigenous people face in Latin America. The fight to take back whats theirs is shown and we see the compassion the natives feel for their natural resources.