Indigenous Rights in Mexico and Central America Essay

Indigenous Rights in Mexico and Central America Introduction The injustice surrounding the Indigenous populations in Mexico and Central America began with the Spanish colonies in the sixteenth century, and the struggle for their land and constitution rights has been an ongoing battle for hundreds of years. The indigenous people take up a large part of the population in Mexico and Central America. (See Table 1; Graph 1 below). Indigenous people make up of over 16 percent of the Mexican population, and over 66 percent of the population is indigenous in Guatemala. The historical reality of the indigenous peoples in Central America has been one poverty, eviction from their land, political violence and mistreatment at the hands of†¦show more content†¦Compiled by World Health Organization (WHO), 1999. http://www.ku.edu/~insp/referencesite.html Accordingly, there have been many controversies surrounding the indigenous land and their natural resources in Mexico and Central America throughout history. Struggles to save their land, culture, and receive constitutional rights have been a constant battle for indigenous populations. For example, the United Fruit Company (1899 - 1970) became prominent in trading tropical fruit from Central American plantations to the United States and Europe. The company comprises a model example of multinational influence extending deeply into the internal politics and acquisition of natural resources of native lands. The UFC came to gain 42% of Guatemala’s land, and set up their capital in the town of Bananera, where it made its headquarters, and corrupted every level of government and politics in Guatemala. UFCO had the unconditional support of right-wing dictators who maintained their power by terrorizing the people and arresting prominent citizens who were either killed on the spot or tortured in prison to extract confessions. A brutal civil war spanned from 1961-1996, and during one wave of repression, hundreds of thousands were killed and entire Indian villages were massacred. Of the killed people, nearly 83% were the Mayans, the indigenous group ofShow MoreRelatedMexico : Physical Geography : Mexico1556 Words   |  7 PagesMexico Physical Geography: Mexico is a famous country which is located in the southern part of North America. I went to Cancun in spring 2012. It was an amazing trip. I really enjoyed the nature there. 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