GOLD Report I - UCLG

LATIN AMERICA194United Cities and Local Governmentsin response to party political issues ratherthan questions of bad management.and Colombian nationals abroad, withfive representatives in Congress.The rights ofindigenous peoplesand of otherminorities aremoving forwardthrough differentoptions, althoughthe process is stillincipient and doesnot apply in allcountriesIn the interests of greater transparency inmanagement, Brazil and other countrieshave legislated to oblige local governmentsto publish their public accounts, and areexploring other mechanisms for the diffusionof public information.In Cuba, “socialist democracy” establishesthe principle of presenting accounts once ayear, and revoking the mandate of the delegateselected to the Popular PowerAssembly.IV.3. Minority RightsNative peoples are an important part of thepopulation in numerous Latin Americancountries. In Bolivia, Ecuador, Guatemala,Peru and some regions of Mexico, they makeup between 12% and 70% of the population.Significant minorities constituting 10% ormore of the population live in specificregions of Belize, Chile, Paraguay, El Salvador,Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. Therights of indigenous peoples and of otherminorities are moving forward through differentoptions, although the process is stillincipient and does not apply in all countries.• In Bolivia, the Ley de Agrupaciones Ciudadanasy Grupos Indígenas (Civic Associationsand Indigenous Groups Act) of2004 gives electoral guarantees, theright to present candidates, and recognitionof the traditional authorities. Thepractice of old forms of direct democracyinherited from the ayllus, agriculturalsyndicates, neighborhood associations,and other forms of community participationis very common in local life.• Brazil recognizes indigenous rights in theconstitution.• In Colombia, indigenous territorial entitiesmay be formed with their Council,and a special circumscription is anticipatedfor ethnic groups, political minorities• Guatemala recognizes the multi-ethnicand multicultural character of the municipalities,as well as the indigenous mayoralties,councils of Mayan Advisers andthe law of national languages.• As a result of the Chiapas uprising, inMexico indigenous rights are included inthe Constitution. Among state legislatures,Oaxaca stands out with 480 municipalitieselecting their authorities by useand custom.• Nicaragua grants constitutional autonomyto two regions on its AtlanticCoast by means of a Statute of Autonomyand each region’s own Ley dePropiedad (Property Law). In thisway, native indigenous peoples livealongside Afro-descendants and othersocial groups.• In Panama, the Comarca de San Blas (IndigenousCommunity of San Blas) hasconstitutional autonomy because that iswhere the Kuna people live, having beengranted their own charter. Their highestauthority is the Congress of Kuna Culture.They are entitled to two legislators inthe parliament.• In República Bolivariana de Venezuela,the law recognizes that in the municipalitieswhere there are indigenous communities,their values, ethnic identity andtraditions must be respected. The figureof the indigenous municipality is established,and through it the indigenous peoplesand communities define, execute,control and evaluate public management.IV.4. Municipal Associativism andDefence of Municipal AutonomyThe transformations in local governmentscaused by decentralization processes permitthe creation and strengthening of nationaland regional associations of local