Colombia Report,
Friday, Nov 21, 2008

Indigenous protesters took their weeks-long protest to Colombia's political center, the Plaza Bolivar in Bogotá. Some 10,000 native Colombians gathered on Bogotá's largest square for nearly four hours Friday.

The "Great March" began at the campus of the National University, where the protesters will be staying this weekend, and ended on Plaza Bolivar where the ten thousand gathered protested against the government of President Álvaro Uribe and tried enforcing their call for respect of their autonomy, the return of stolen land, better health care and education and protection from right wing paramilitary groups that have been targetting indigenous communities and their leaders.

The indigenous protest has been going on for weeks already. It started off in the southern department of Cauca where protesters and riot Police clashed several indigenous protesters were killed. After a 40,000 person march to Cali, President Álvaro Uribe agreed to talks with indigenous leaders.

Despite Uribe's promise to start returning stolen land to the protesters, the indigenous weren't satisfied and initiated the march to Bogotá. The return of stolen land was suspended a week later when Agriculture Minister Andres Felipe Arias accused indigenous of being responsible for the death of two Colombian soldiers, killed by a bomb.

The protesters again demand to talk to the president, but he has not yet responded.