The right to indigenous territory: international protection and local claims

In the 20th century, the international arena has promoted the protection of the rights of indigenous communities, including the right to territory. This discourse of protecting indigenous territory has also contributed to the preservation of other rights, such as the right to biodiversity, a problem that affects the whole of humanity. However, the discourse of protecting this right has been at odds with the development interests of states that promote neoliberal practices that favor companies or individuals that understand territory as a business. In this sense, the protection of international law for indigenous territories has served as a guideline for the consolidation of strategies for the control and defense of territories. These strategies, developed in an environment of intercultural dialogue with other populations such as Afro-descendants and peasants, are seen in the formation of indigenous, maroon and peasant guards, which have become an international reference for the defense of human rights.