The leader of the largest Amazonian Indigenous organization, now divided, believes that women can unify it · Global Voices
Johana Fernanda Sánchez Jaramillo

Photo of Fany Kuiru Castro (Jitoma Monayanho), used with permission from COICA.
One of the most important Indigenous organizations is fragmented, jeopardizing its objectives of protecting the Amazon and the Amazonian peoples who inhabit it. In January 2023, Fany Kuiru Castro, a Uitoto woman from Colombia whose traditional name is Jitoma Monayanho (Sun of Dawn), was the first woman elected to lead the Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon Basin (COICA) in its nearly 40 years of existence, but her leadership is disputed by Tuntiak Patricio Katan Jua, a Shuar man from Ecuador. Fany Kuiru laments the deep division within the organization and in an interview with Global Voices she states that “women have asked that they let us govern because we can reach unity.”
COICA, founded in 1984 in Lima, includes nine Amazonian Indigenous organizations from Ecuador, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuela. It represents an estimated 511 Amazonian peoples who live in an area covering about 240 million hectares of forest. According to COICA, “The Amazon has 30 percent of the biodiversity and 70 percent of the planet's oxygen, but its real importance lies in the interrelationship that the native Indigenous peoples have with the forest to ensure life for all.” One of COICA's goals is to engage in dialogue with the governments of the region to protect 80 percent of the Amazon by 2025 and promote the titling of territories in favor of the Indigenous peoples, who are being harassed by mining and deforestation.
In November 2022, Tuntiak Katan called himself leader during a congress that was not called by the board of directors of COICA. Said appointment is considered illegitimate by a part of COICA and jeopardized the Council appointed in 2023. The Ecuadorian government recognized Katan's election in February, but annulled it on March 13 after a legal action by Fany Kuiru, who is a lawyer from the Santo Tomás de Aquino University, in Bogotá.
Fany Kuiru also has a master's degree in political and international studies from the Universidad del Rosario, Colombia. Recently graduated as a lawyer, she worked for three years litigating on behalf of women heads of households, and later focused on the social struggle and various processes for territorial rights, health, and education.
Global Voices interviewed the Uitoto leader, current coordinator of COICA, via WhatsApp, to learn about her own perspective on the challenges she faces and how she plans to overcome the crisis.
Johanna Fernanda Sánchez Jaramillo (JFSJ): What has been your involvement in the Indigenous movement?
Fany Kuiru Castro (FKC): A los 14 años empecé a ocupar espacios de discusiones colectivas en el territorio y luego, a los 21 años, estuve en las luchas de recuperación de mi territorio del Resguardo indígena Predio en Putumayo (Colombia). Desde joven he estado involucrada en trabajos sociales y comunitarios para el movimiento indígena. A las mujeres siempre se nos dificulta ser madres y ser lideresas. Muchas compañeras no avanzan porque son madres y tienen un esposo, un compañero, que no les permite liderar los procesos. En mi caso no. Siempre tuve claro lo que quise en la vida y por herencia de mis abuelos, de mis ancestros, de la familia y del clan, quienes somos líderes siempre estamos para servirle a la comunidad, a la sociedad, a nuestras familias.
Fany Kuiru Castro (FKC): At the age of 14, I became involved in collective discussions in the region and then, at the age of 21, I participated in the struggles to recover my territory of the Predio Indigenous reservation in Putumayo (Colombia). Since I was young I have been involved in social and community work for the Indigenous movement. It is always difficult for women to be mothers and at the same time to be leaders. Many fellow women do not make progress because they are mothers and have a husband or a partner who does not allow them to lead. Not in my case. I was always clear about what I wanted to achieve in life, and I followed the legacy from my grandparents, my ancestors, the family and the clan. We are all leaders always serving the community, society, our families.
Photo of Fany Kuiru Castro (Jitoma Monayanho), used with permission from COICA.
JFSJ: How was your journey to be elected coordinator of COICA?
FKC: Siempre fui solidaria con las mujeres y estuve en los espacios donde están los hombres, pero no siempre algunas compañeras son bien recibidas. Creo que he tenido demasiado carácter y la capacidad de comprender a los compañeros y, por eso, he estado en esos escenarios.
Pero estoy consciente de que para las mujeres es difícil estar en espacios organizativos, en las estructuras y que tengan participación política. Eso me ha llenado de mucho coraje para unir a las mujeres, que busquemos y encontremos la forma de que sobresalgan, que el rol que desempeñen sea importante en las comunidades porque las mujeres somos fundamentales en la vida comunitaria, la toma de decisiones y el acompañamiento a procesos importantes.
Después del análisis de la situación de las mujeres, uno de nuestros mandatos fue la participación paritaria en las estructuras organizativas de nivel local, regional e internacional. Por eso nos proyectamos para este periodo de la Coica para que una mujer estuviera al frente, pero no pensé que fuera yo.
Lamentamos que el compañero Tuntiak Patricio Katan Jua haya desconocido ese congreso del año 2023  y se haya autoproclamado en noviembre de 2022 en Paramaribo como coordinador general. Me parece gravísimo de un líder. Eso no es ser líder, es ser una persona de mala fe y desconocer un proceso colectivo porque no les conviene a sus intereses personales. Hago un llamado a todos los compañeros indígenas, a que aquí deben primar intereses colectivos y no personales.
Las mujeres hemos pedido que nos dejen gobernar porque podemos llegar a la unidad. Hoy la Coica está fragmentada, lamentablemente, y a esa Coica llegamos las mujeres. Está dividida por dos o tres personas no más, pero que lamentablemente han sido apoyados por una ONG inescrupulosa.
I have always stood in solidarity with women and I have been in spaces where men are present, where some women are not always well received. I think I have had too much personality and the ability to understand my teammates and, therefore, I have been in those spaces.
But I am aware that it is difficult for women to be in organizational spaces and structures and to have political participation. This has given me a lot of courage to unite women, to find a way for them to excel, so that their role in communities to be important because women are essential in community life, decision-making and supporting significant changes.
After analyzing the situation of women, we saw that one of our mandates needed to be equal participation in organizational structures at the local, regional and international levels. That is why we planned for a woman to be in charge for this term of the COICA, but I did not think it would be me.
We regret that our colleague Tuntiak Patricio Katan Jua has ignored the congress of 2023 and has proclaimed himself as general coordinator in Paramaribo in November 2022. I think this is a very serious problem for a leader. That is not being a leader, it is being a person of bad faith who ignores a collective process because it does not suit their personal interests. I call on all Indigenous colleagues that collective and not personal interests should prevail here.
We women have asked that they let us govern because we can reach unity. Today COICA is fragmented, unfortunately, by no more than two or three people, but regrettably they have been supported by an unscrupulous NGO.
JFSJ: What does it mean to be the first female coordinator of COICA?
FKC: Es una gran responsabilidad y hay muchos desafíos. Primero porque hay muchos compañeros indígenas retrógrados que creen que la mujer es para estar en la casa cocinando, lavando y cuidando los hijos. Aunque por supuesto no estamos desmeritando el trabajo de las hermanas que se quedan en la casa cuidando los hijos, sino que ahora existimos mujeres con capacidad, no porque seamos mujeres nos tienen que reconocer en la Coica no, porque tenemos capacidad y solicitamos participación y guiar nuestra organización. No es por capricho ni por intereses personales, es el momento de que la mujer sea la que oriente los destinos de nuestra organización con toda la capacidad y visión que hay sobre cómo reorganizar, reestructurar y refundar nuestra Coica.
Creo que hemos hecho un trabajo excelente con las mujeres porque caminamos, trabajamos juntas y hoy, gracias a eso, hay cohesión del Consejo de Mujeres de Coica. Yo hago parte de este y eso me facilitó el trabajo con las mujeres, haciendo propuestas en la cumbre construimos una agenda común por los derechos de las mujeres, se creó una red de mujeres y se contemplan temas importantes para nosotras como el cambio climático, emprendimientos económicos, autonomía alimentaria. Eso es lo que venimos trabajando como amazónicas porque es primordial estar unidas y así darles la mano a nuestros compañeros porque hasta ahora la voz Coica ha sido voz masculina. Nosotras tenemos nuestra proyección y sabemos qué hacer en la Coica.
It is a great responsibility and there are many challenges. First, because there are many backward-looking Indigenous colleagues who believe that women are only meant to be at home cooking, washing and taking care of the children. Although, of course, we do not downplay the importance of the women who stay at home taking care of the children, but now there are women with capabilities. It's not because we are women that they have to recognize us in the COICA, but because we are competent and we request to participate and guide our organization. It is not on a whim or for personal interests, it is time for women to guide the future of our organization with all the capacity and vision on how to reorganize, restructure and reestablish our COICA.
I think we have done an excellent job because we women work together and today, thanks to that, there is cohesion in the COICA Women's Council. Being part of this council made it easier for me to work with women, and make proposals at the summit to build a common agenda for women's rights. A women's network was created which considers important issues for us, such as climate change, economic entrepreneurship, food autonomy. This is what we have been working on as Amazonians because it is essential to be united and collaborate with our colleagues, because until now the COICA voice has been a masculine voice. We have our plans and we know what to do at COICA.
Photo of Fany Kuiru Castro (Jitoma Monayanho), used with permission from Coica.
JFSJ: What challenges does the organization have?
FKC: En este momento, nuestra organización es débil, nos quedó chiquita para los desafíos actuales de la cuenca Amazónica. El desafío es pensar en todos, no dejar Coica para que cada cuatro años esté dividida por intereses individuales. Si no blindamos, si no renacemos a la Coica con pilares más fuertes, nunca vamos a avanzar. Los retos son muchos porque la cuenca Amazónica tiene muchos conflictos, en este momento hay diálogos internacionales sobre la Amazonia que están parados debido a este desorden que hay en Coica.
Por eso hacemos un llamado a los aliados y cooperantes que no estén esperando que el problema se resuelva porque esto va a ser difícil, deben apostarle a la legalidad, deben entender que fuimos elegidos en Quito en el marco de la legalidad porque se realizó el Congreso conforme al estatuto. Los otros que armaron el desorden deben ser llamados por su mayores y sabedores(as) para que definan qué se debe hacer con ellos.
También hay desconocimiento de muchas comunidades y pueblos en las bases comunitarias que se han convertido en organizaciones familiares y están representando a su país en la Coica. Eso no puede ser, pues desde todo punto de vista es parte también de la corrupción y eso es lo que queremos sanar.
FKC: Right now, our organization is weak, we are too small for the current challenges of the Amazon basin. One challenge is to think of everyone, and not let COICA be divided by individual interests every four years. If we do not protect, if we do not reestablish COICA with stronger foundation, we will never make progress. The challenges are many because there are many conflicts within the Amazon basin. At this moment there are international dialogues on the Amazon that have been put on hold due to this disorder within COICA.
That is why we call on allies and partners to not wait for the problem to be resolved because this is going to be difficult. They must trust in legality. They must understand that we were elected in Quito within a legal framework because the Congress was held according to the statute. The others who created this confusion should be called by their elders and wise (wo)men to decide what should be done with them.
There is also lack of knowledge within many community-based organizations that have become nepotist organizations and are representing their own country in COICA [instead of representing the region]. That cannot be, because from every point of view it is also part of the corruption that we want to get rid of.
JSFS: What tools will you use to unite COICA?
FKC: Mi objetivo como coordinadora, como mujer, es que todo esté en orden. Porque en nuestra cultura nos enseñan que dentro de la maloca [ed: maloca significa casa, y en este caso, significa la “gran casa” que es la Amazonía] cada cosa debe estar en su lugar. Cuando se sale de su entorno es que hay desarmonía y hoy estamos viviendo una desarmonía que tiene nombre propio y no va más allá de cuatro personas, pero que han sido financiadas por unas ONG inescrupulosas y por eso tienen la capacidad de hacer eventos ilegales e ilegítimos. A ellos los llamamos también al diálogo, pero no para que nos manipulen ni para que nosotros cedamos a sus intereses, pues no lo vamos a hacer.
Asimismo, hay que hablar con los mayores, con las sabedoras, con los jóvenes, escuchar a la población no incluida, incorporarla y una vez dialoguemos hermanados, en el territorio, podemos ir a una cumbre de pueblos donde digamos ‘vamos a marchar hacia delante para que la Coica esté blindada de futuras divisiones’.
My goal as a coordinator, as a woman, is for everything to be in order. Because in our culture we are taught that inside the maloca [ed: maloca means ‘house’, and in this case, it means the “great house” that is the Amazon] everything must be in its place. When you leave your environment, there is disharmony and today we are experiencing a disharmony that has its own name and does not go beyond four people, but that has been financed by unscrupulous NGOs, and this is why they have the ability to organize illegal and illegitimate events. We also call on them to have a dialogue, but not so that they manipulate us or so that we give in to their interests, because we are not going to do it.
Likewise, we must talk with the elderly, with those who are knowledgeable, with the young people, listen to the population that has not been included so far, bring them in, and once we have a dialogue in the territory, we can participate in a summit of Indigenous communities where we say “we will march forward so that COICA is shielded from future divisions.”
JSFJ: What message do you have for women who aspire to access these positions?
FKC: A las hermanas de la cuenca Amazónica les envío un abrazo fraterno. Tenemos un gran reto, ustedes me eligieron como su única candidata para la coordinación general y el día que lo hicieron les dije que esta no era solo tarea mía, sino de todas. Las invito a seguir de pie hermanas porque ya hemos logrado un peldaño de lo que hemos solicitado, como fruto de nuestra lucha, hemos llegado a este lugar, pero hemos recibido una Coica fragmentada.
Sin embargo, nosotras tenemos toda la fuerza, el conocimiento, la espiritualidad para avanzar. Nuestros hermanos tienen que ceder. Yo si quisiera que cada coordinación, cada país hable con sus representantes, es el momento de ceder a las mujeres ese espacio. No les vamos a hacer daño, al contrario, estamos apoyándolos para que la Coica sea más paritaria y más incluyente, como somos las mujeres.
Nosotras somos las verdaderas defensoras y protectoras de esa gran maloca, la casa, nuestra que es la Amazonía. Las llamo a que permanezcamos unidas, puesto que sé que algunas compañeras están siendo perseguidas por sumarse a esta lucha.
To the sisters of the Amazon basin I send a hug. We have a great challenge, you chose me as your only candidate for general coordination and on that day I told you that this was not just my job, but everyone's. I invite you sisters to keep standing up because we have already achieved this goal which is a stepping stone in our requests, as a result of our struggle we have reached this spot, but we have got a fragmented COICA.
However, we have all the strength, knowledge, and spirituality to move forward. Our brothers have to give in. I do want each coordination, each country to speak with their representatives, it is time to give women that space. We are not going to harm them, on the contrary, we are supporting them so that COICA could be more equal and more inclusive, as we women are.
We are the true defenders and protectors of this great maloca, our house, which is the Amazon. I call on you to stay together, since I know that some colleagues are being persecuted for joining this fight.