We denounce the violence and harassment against Wayuu women life defenders.

From the ancestral territory of the Wayuu people, we raise our voices with dignity and courage to denounce the systematic acts of violence, intimidation, and harassment we face as women activists and defenders of our collective rights.

For years, the women of our community have worked with commitment and love to combat gender-based violence, strengthen our forms of organization, defend our cultures, and improve educational conditions for our girls, boys, and youth. Our path has been marked by resistance and hope.

However, on February 26, 2024, our community was subjected to an act of intimidation that deeply undermines our autonomy and our right to organize. Men from a neighboring locality entered our community with arrogance, demanding documents from our traditional authority and ordering the closure of our community classrooms—sacred spaces for learning. They also attempted to halt the construction of the Casa Morada, a co-creation center we envision as a safe space for women. They also obstructed the development of an artisanal well, which is crucial for water supply during this drought.

These acts represent a direct threat to one of our process's visible leaders and to the collective of women who have been weaving a community life project rooted in gender, territory, and culture.

Since these attacks began, we have been victims of a systematic campaign of intimidation and persecution, which has escalated from the digital realm to incidents of physical violence. This harassment strategy aims to instill fear, divide us, and silence our voices. We firmly denounce that:

Digital harassment has become constant, direct threats against our leaders have intensified, and our social media accounts have been hacked—compromising the digital security of our members and hindering our community awareness campaigns and outreach efforts.

The intimidating messages continue relentlessly, and most gravely: there was a violent break-in at the home of one of our members, during which work equipment containing valuable information for our collective was stolen. Beyond the material loss, this act directly violates the safety and privacy of those of us leading this process. It represents a dangerous escalation that cannot be ignored or minimized.

The most recent episode took place on April 3, 2025, at the House of Justice in Uribia, in the presence of the Secretariat of Indigenous Affairs. What was supposed to be a space for dialogue turned into a scene of verbal threats of physical aggression against members of our collective. Just days earlier, on March 27 at 9:30 p.m., one of our co-founders received a phone call threatening her life because of her leadership.

In light of this, we publicly denounce:

• The patriarchal and colonial violence that seeks to halt our organizing processes.

• The institutional complicity that has allowed these aggressions to continue with impunity.

• There is a lack of guarantees to exercise our right to defend life, water, education, and the future.

We demand immediate guarantees to protect our women leaders and our communities. We demand respect for our autonomy and the work we are building with so much effort. We will not be silenced. We will not give up.

From the Indigenous territories of the Wayuu people, we reaffirm our commitment to life, justice, and the future we deserve. Our struggle is legitimate, and it is for all of us.