Changa Communities of Humboldt Archipelago Raise Alarm Over Environmental Setbacks and Firmly Oppose Dominga Project

Original article: Comunidades changas alertan por retrocesos ambientales del Gobierno y reafirman rechazo a proyecto Dominga

Changa Communities of the Humboldt Archipelago Demand Environmental Protection and Reject Dominga Project: “Our Maritime Area is Under Defence”

The recognized changa communities express concern over setbacks in environmental governance, reiterate their opposition to the mining-port megaproject, and distance themselves from groups seeking to instrumentalize changa identity.

Amid a growing debate over environmental governance and extractive projects in the northern region of the country, the indigenous changa communities of the Humboldt Archipelago—officially recognized by the State of Chile—issued a strong public statement expressing their «deep concern» over the current government’s signs indicating a potential suspension, weakening, or delay of environmental protection decrees and instruments.

The organizations from the territories of La Higuera and Freirina warn that these potential setbacks directly impact an area of «high ecological fragility,» such as the Humboldt Archipelago, known for its unique global biodiversity. “As indigenous coastal peoples, we stress that any weakening of environmental governance jeopardizes not only strategic ecosystems but also our ways of life, cultural practices, and marine knowledge systems,” the statement emphasizes.

Opposition to the Dominga Project and Territorial Defense

In their declaration, the communities reiterated their «firm and sustained opposition» to the Dominga mining-port project, labeling it a direct threat to the ecological balance of the Humboldt Archipelago and the continuity of their traditional practices. “Our connection to this territory is not incidental or economic: it is historical, cultural, and spiritual. The maritime area we inhabit has been built and cared for by generations and cannot be reduced to a sacrifice zone for extractive interests,” they assert.

The signing organizations underline that defending the archipelago equates to “defending life, biodiversity, and the continuity of our cultures.”

Irrevocable Defense of Law 20.249 and ECMPOs

Another central theme of the statement is the reaffirmation of commitment to Law 20.249, a critical instrument for recognizing the territorial rights of indigenous peoples along the coastline. The communities highlight that implementing Marine Coastal Spaces for Indigenous Peoples (ECMPO) not only constitutes a recognized state right but also serves as “a concrete tool for biocultural conservation, based on ancestral practices of sea use and management.”

In this regard, they reject “any attempt to weaken, limit, or reinterpret this law to the detriment of indigenous peoples and the territorial governance processes we have championed.”

Distancing from Groups Lacking State Recognition

Significantly, the changa communities of the Humboldt Archipelago explicitly distanced themselves from “self-identified changa groups in the southern sector of La Higuera, which, lacking recognition under Law No. 19.253, seek to instrumentalize indigenous identity for private interests unrelated to territorial well-being.”

The organizations caution that these actions “distort the processes of recognition and revitalization of the changa people” and have contributed to obstruct necessary dialogue for the creation and consolidation of the Multiple-Use Coastal Marine Area (ACMU) of the Humboldt Archipelago.

The signing communities—all recognized by the State of Chile under Law No. 19.253 and affirmed in Decree No. 66 from the Ministry of Social Development and Family—have actively, consistently, and responsibly participated in creating the Management Plan and the Indigenous Consultation process.

Right to Exist and Decide the Future

The statement concludes with a declaration of principles: “As changa communities of the Humboldt Archipelago, we reaffirm our right to exist, decide, and shape our future in the territory we have historically inhabited. Our maritime area is not in dispute: it is under defense.”

The organizations announce that they will continue taking necessary actions to safeguard their rights, ways of life, and the ecosystems they are part of.

The original statement is signed by: Indigenous Community of Changos Álvarez-Hidalgo and Descendants of Caleta Chañaral de Aceituno; Indigenous Community Parental Ana Vergara; Indigenous Community Changa Family Vergara from the Southern Sector of Atacama; Indigenous Community Changa Juana Vergara and Family from Punta de Choros; Indigenous Community of Chango People of the Humboldt Archipelago