English Translation: Evangelical Declaration in Defense of the TIPNIS

The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it-- Psalm 24:1 (NIV) As Christians we have a responsibility to care for creation and to support and defend those whose rights are violated. Thus, we who sign here, Christians from Bolivia and around the world, ask the Plurinational Legislative Assembly (APL) of Bolivia and President Evo Morales to respect Bolivia’s Constitution (CPE), the laws of the country, and the international conventions ratified by Bolivia by stopping the construction of the highway through the Isiboro-Sécure Indigenous Territorry and National Park (TIPNIS) until a dialogue can be held in good faith with the Indigenous peoples who have legal title to the territory and the will and rights of these peoples are respected. In recent days, the Bolivian legislature has approved a law that overturns the law of intangibility that protected the TIPNIS, without first publicizing the proposal or consulting the residents of the TIPNIS, and without any scientific study or proof of the environmental impact of the highway and other projects that will now penetrate the territory, as required by law. This new law permits the construction of a highway through the heart of the TIPNIS so that private business interests and colonizers take advantage of the natural resources and land, putting the preservation of an important protected natural area at risk and disregarding the lives of the Indigenous inhabitants of the territory who have the right to free determination , the use of their resources and territory and “obligatory prior consultation . . . in good faith and jointly arranged.” This highway will destroy large swaths of jungle and its biodiversity in addition to profoundly altering the cultures, the economic foundations and possibility of survival of the people who live within the territory. This act concerns us because it is just one more act, and one of the worst, from this government that demonstrates a pattern of indifference towards the laws of this country and towards the very constitution that this same government ratified. It demonstrates an attitude of disregard towards the Indigenous peoples and the land that this government claims to defend. The way in which the legislature passed the law, without dialogue nor any proof that they have really studied the environmental impact of the project, nor having consulted the indigenous residents of the TIPNIS, violates the Bolivian constitution which declares that the State “is based on the values of unity, equality, inclusion, dignity, liberty, solidarity, reciprocity, respect, complementarity, harmony, transparency, equilibrium,” and that guarantees “the security and protection and equal dignity of the persons, nations, peoples and communities, and promotes mutual respect and intracultural, intercultural and plurilingual dialogue.” Similarly this government has passed laws and approved projects such as the El Bala and Chepete dams and oil exploration within the Tariquía National Reserve in ways that violate the values of transparency, reciprocity, mutual respect and dialogue as laid out in these articles, with harmful effects to the Indigenous populations and the environment in these areas. As Christians, we desire to affirm that these values listed in the constitution coincide with values of the kingdom of God and we demand that the government of Bolivia respect the values established by the people in the constitution. It seems to us that the government is acting in ways so as to avoid the transparency, dialogue, social control, environmental impact evaluation and the prior consent that respects the norms and own procedures of Indigenous peoples as required by the constitution. It also is violating the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the International Labor Organization Convention 169, two international agreements ratified by the Bolivian government. We seek the signature of Christian people, churches and organizations on this declaration and petition to the Bolivian government asking them to respect the constitution (CPE) and the laws of Bolivia. We believe in a God of love that protects and cares for creation as well as vulnerable people and we therefore condemn the actions of the government that run over the rights of the Indigenous peoples of Bolivia as well as run over the rights of all Bolivians because they attack the integrity and wellbeing of creation. This conflict has only emerged because of the uncontrolled desires of a few, not because there is really any conflict between abundant life for human beings and the protection of the earth. We believe that with God’s grace and with our God-given creativity and intelligence it is possible to find solutions to the needs of all Bolivian people without violating the rights of Indigenous peoples nor destroying our environment, and we demand that the government look with us for these solutions in transparent dialogue and mutual respect with the Indigenous peoples of the TIPNIS and the Bolivian people. We call our brothers and sisters in Christ in Bolivia and around the world to call for the Bolivian government to enact justice for Bolivia’s Indigenous peoples and their territories. Let us proclaim the truth in love and demand that the Bolivian government respect the constitution and truly do justice. But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream! Let justice fill the earth, As the Isiboro and Sécure rivers overflow their banks and flood the earth in rainy season!