9
31
Rivadavia Department, Province of Salta” . The information provided in both reports will be analyzed
later in this decision.
IV.
PROVEN FACTS
The indigenous communities that form part of the Lhaka Honhat (Our Land) Association,
their ancestral territory and their mode of subsistence
40.
The Wichi (Mataco), Iyjwaja (Chorote), Komlek (Toba), Niwackle (Chulupí) and Tapy’y
(Tapiete) indigenous peoples inhabit the region of the Salta Chaco, in the province of Salta, of the
Republic of Argentina.
41.
Between thirty five and fifty indigenous communities, comprising families that belong to
these five peoples, inhabit the Pilcomayo River area, in what today is the Department of Rivadavia, of the
Province of Salta. These communities are specifically living in Fiscal Lots Nos. 14 and 55, which extend
over approximately six hundred and forty thousand (640.000) hectares, in the part of the Argentinean
territory that is adjacent to the international frontier with Paraguay and Bolivia.
42.
The initial 1998 petition informed of the existence of 35 indigenous communities in these
32
lots. In October, 2007, petitioners reported the existence of 45 indigenous communities according to the
33
INAI Database. . By February, 2009, the State authorities indicated the existence of 50 indigenous
34
communities. In May 2011, the Government informed about the existence of 47 indigenous
35
communities.
31
Communication of the State, Note OEA 270 of July 7, 2011, received at the Commission on the same day.
32
They specifically provided the precise geographical location of the hunting and gathering routes of twenty-one
communities: of the Wichí people, the communities of (1) La Puntana, (2) Santa María, (3) La Curvita, (4) San Luis, (5) Cañaveral,
(6) Pozo del Tigre – San Ignacio, (7) Misión la Paz Km. 1 and 2, (8) Las Vertientes, (9) Rancho del Ñato, (10) Pozo La China, (11)
El Pin Pin, (12) Pozo El Toro, (13) Bella Vista, (14) Bajo Grande, (15) Pozo El Mulato, and (16) Alto La Sierra; of the Iyjwaja people,
the communities of (17) La Bolsa, (18) La Gracia, (19) La Merced Vieja, and (20) La Merced Nueva; of the Komlek people, the
community of (21) Monte Carmelo.
33
At the moment of submitting their observations on the merits in 2007, petitioners included the following list of the
indigenous communities of the area, taken from the “Database of the indigenous peoples of the Salta Chaco”, by the INAI (National
Institute of Indigenous Affairs) and ASOCIANA: (1) Alto de la Sierra; (2) Bajo Grande; (3) Bella Vista; (4) Cañaveral; (5) Carneada;
(6) Desemboque; (7) Ebenezer; (8) El Cruce; (9) Kilómetro 1; (10) Kilómetro 2; (11) La Bolsa; (12) La Curvita; (13) La Esperanza;
(14) La Estrella; (15) La Gracia; (16) La Merced Vieja; (17) La Merced Nueva; (18) La Paz; (19) La Puntana; (20) Las Vertientes;
(21) Magdalena; (22) Mojarra; (23) Monte Carmelo; (24) Morón; (25) Nueva Vida; (26) Nueva Esperanza; (27) Padre Coll; (28)
Pelícano; (29) Pim Pim; (30) Pozo El Bravo; (31) Pozo El Mulato; (32) Pozo El Tigre; (33) Pozo La China; (34) Pozo Los Ranchos;
(35) Puesto Nuevo; (36) Puntana Chica; (37) Quebrachal 20101; (38) Quebrachal 20116; (39) Rancho El Ñato; (40) San Bernardo;
(41) San Luis; (42) San Miguel; (43) Santa María; (44) Santa Victoria Este; (45) Vertientes.
34
In October, 2007, the General Director of the General Inspection of Juridical Persons of the Province of Salta sent the
Provincial Government a list of 50 indigenous communities that inhabit Fiscal Lots 55 and 14, namely: (1) Molathati; (2) La Merced
Nueva; (3) Bella Vista; (4) Madre Esperanza; (5) Nueva Esperanza; (6) Monte Carmelo; (7) La Esperanza; (8) Misión La Gracia; (9)
Santa Victoria 2; (10) Pozo El Toro; (11) Pozo La China; (12) Monte Verde; (13) Cañaveral II; (14) Roberto Romero; (15) Ebeneser;
(16) Alto La Sierra; (17) Misión Algarrobal; (18) Misión San Luis; (19) Misión Las Juntas; (20) Inhate; (21) La Puntana I; (22) La
Merced Vieja; (23) Rancho El Ñato; (24) Pozo El Tigre; (25) La Curvita; (26) Santa Victoria Este I; (27) Padre Coll; (28) Santa
María; (29) Kilómetro 2; (30) Misión La Paz; (31) Pozo El Mulato; (32) Kilómetro 1; (33) Cañaveral I; (34) Bajo Grande; (35) La
Bolsa; (36) El Cruce – Santa María; (37) Las Vertientes; (38) Las Vertientes II; (39) Pin – Pin; (40) San Ignacio; (41) San Bernardo;
(42) San Miguel; (43) Pozo El Bravo; (44) Quebrachal I; (45) Quebrachal II; (46) Punta Chica; (47) Misión La Gracia; (48) San
Lorenzo; (49) Las Mojarras; (50) Puesto Nuevo. List and remission note annexed to the communication of the Provincial
Government of Salta to the Argentinean Ministry of Foreign Affairs, sent to the IACHR through note received on February 10th,
2009, and transmitted to the petitioners on February 26, 2009.
35
On May 3, 2011, the Provincial Government of Salta sent the IACHR a Report on the Advances of the process of land
adjudication in Fiscal Lots 14 and 55; there it included a list of 47 indigenous communities, indicating which ones were associated to
Lhaka Honhat, and which ones were not. Thus, it was reported that the communities that form part of the Lhaka Honhat Association
are 27: (1) La Merced Nueva; (2) Bella Vista; (3) Kom Lañoko – Misión Toba – Monte Carmelo; (4) Misión La Paz; (5) Misión La
Gracia; (6) Santa Victoria 2; (7) Pozo El Toro; (8) Pozo La China; (9) Lantawos – Alto La Sierra; (10) Misión San Luis; (11) La
Puntana I; (12) La Merced Vieja; (13) Las Juntas; (14) Rancho El Ñato; (15) Pozo El Tigre; (16) La Curvita; (17) Padre Coll; (18)
Santa María; (19) Km 1; (20) Km 2; (21) Pozo El Mulato; (22) El Cañaveral 1; (23) La Bolsa; (24) El Cruce; (25) Las Vertientes; (26)
Pin Pin; (27) El Cercado. On the other hand, the communities that do not form part of Lhaka Honhat are the following 20: (1)
Molathati; (2) Madre Esperanza; (3) Nueva Esperanza – Lote Fiscal No. 55; (4) Ñande Yer; (5) La Esperanza; (6) Monte Verde; (7)
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