Le peuple Bribri
The Bribri people is an indigenous group made up of several clans united in a matrilineal way, where all its members are people born of Bribri mothers and which is located mainly in the area of Salitre and Cabagra, in the south of Costa Rica. As heirs of the land, defenders of Iriria- their sacred land, for several years they have worked to recover their territory by de facto means, using non-violent means within the framework of legality, which has been illegally occupied by non-indigenous people. Since 2010 they have initiated a large land recovery movement, after the lack of state response to their situation. As a consequence of their work in defense of their human rights they have faced violence, threats, and violation of their land rights. In 2015, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights granted them precautionary measures and ordered the Costa Rican government to adopt measures to protect the life and physical integrity of the Bribri and Brörán peoples. However, these measures have not been implemented by the authorities despite continued attacks against indigenous peoples' rights defenders.
Reports of violations against indigenous rights HRDs in Costa Rica are of great concern. Different indigenous peoples – like the bri-bri and the cabécar – have reported invasions and arson attacks on their ancestral lands by landowners from the region. The lack of response from government officials and police forces makes the situation of indigenous peoples in Costa Rica even more vulnerable in their fight for land demarcations and the regulation of the Law of Indigenous Autonomy.
