Equity and exclusion in Latin America and the Caribbean: The case of Indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples

The purpose of this article is to show and explore some basic aspects of the situation in which Indigenous and Afrodescendant peoples live in Latin America and the Caribbean. Factors such as racism and discrimination will be analysed in an effort to interpret the causes that have resulted in millions of people in the region, from a variety of ethnic and racial origins, living in poverty and marginalization. It is suggested that the way to deal with this problem is to transform systems of exclusion and discrimination (which are cultural, economic, legal and political in nature) at the root by designing strategies ranging from formal recognition of identities and collective rights to public policy-making, stronger regional and international cooperation programmes and far-reaching reform of the State. The active principle underlying the application of these measures should be a new “citizenship” based on the promotion of cultural diversity and difference.