The Citizenship Of Indians In Latin America: Legal Terms Vs. Pragmatic Realities In Five Examples

This Buzzfeed post is meant to show the discrepancy between constitutional laws created following the independence of Latin American nations and the reality of citizenship of contemporary Indians in these societies.

1. Argentinean Constitution 1819 - Universal male suffrage and other rights were extended to indigenous people

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However, as we see in the Conquest of the Desert in 1870s, over a thousand Indians were killed and many more displaced in the name of ‘civilization’. They probably weren’t asked to vote on that before the matter.

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2. Peruvian Constitution of 1823 - Provided equal Voting Rights for all Men

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- The constitution said that Indians and Spaniards alike, “who could read and write, and were property owners or had a profession or trade or were employed in a "useful industry," and did not belong to the class of servants or journeymen”

- Despite the ‘right’ to vote, many Indians were denied access because they were illiterate in Spanish. In addition, the obvious subjective nature of what does or does not qualify as a “useful industry” prevented a number of otherwise qualified indigenous men from voting.

3. Chilean Constitution of 1811 - "There are no special taxes of privileges separating Indians and Spaniards."

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Despite this, head taxes were placed on Indians, going against the laws outlined in this excerpt.

4. Columbian Constitution of 1810 - "The Indians enjoy all the rights of citizenship and may participate and vote in elections like any other citizen of the republic."

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Indians were othered on many occasions, therefore resulting in less participation in political arenas.

5. Constitution of the United Provinces of South America in 1819 - "As Indians are equal in dignity and rights to the other citizens, they will enjoy the same pre-eminence and will be governed by the same laws."

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However, there were laws enacted that separated Indians from other groups of people within society.