11-Year-Old Girl From Colombia's Wayuu Tribe Gives Birth, Government At Odds With Tribal Mores
An 11 year-old Colombian girl gave birth last week to a daughter. The baby was born via C-section and is reportedly in healthy condition. During her pregnancy, the young girl never consulted with a doctor according to the video report by Univision's Primer Impacto.
The 11 year-old mother belongs to the Wayuu tribe, an indigenous group from the La Guajira Peninsula in the northern region of Colombia and Venezuela. She's originally from the city of Manaure.
“We've already seen similar cases of wayuu girls," said Efraín Pacheco Casadiego the director of the hospital where the girl gave birth, to RCN La Radio noticias, a Colombian radio station. "At a time when (the girls) should be playing with dolls, they go to having to take care of a baby. It's shocking."
The Colombian constitution guarantees the Wayuu land and autonomy, and allows for the indigenous tribe to maintain their own sovereignty.
"Since it's a Wayuu girl we are trying to respect all of their rights since they have autonomy and their own jurisdiction," said Alejandro Samplayo, director of "Instituto Colombiano Bienestar Familiar" a family welfare program with emphasis on attention of infants.
Little information has been reported about the baby’s father who has remained anonymous. And, according to Primer Impacto, nobody in the indigenous community is willing to speak about the circumstances of the birth.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated that the "Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar" is an organization similar to the U.S.'s Planned Parenthood. But the "Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar" is a family welfare program with emphasis on attention of infants.
The 11 year-old mother belongs to the Wayuu tribe, an indigenous group from the La Guajira Peninsula in the northern region of Colombia and Venezuela. She's originally from the city of Manaure.
“We've already seen similar cases of wayuu girls," said Efraín Pacheco Casadiego the director of the hospital where the girl gave birth, to RCN La Radio noticias, a Colombian radio station. "At a time when (the girls) should be playing with dolls, they go to having to take care of a baby. It's shocking."
The Colombian constitution guarantees the Wayuu land and autonomy, and allows for the indigenous tribe to maintain their own sovereignty.
"Since it's a Wayuu girl we are trying to respect all of their rights since they have autonomy and their own jurisdiction," said Alejandro Samplayo, director of "Instituto Colombiano Bienestar Familiar" a family welfare program with emphasis on attention of infants.
Little information has been reported about the baby’s father who has remained anonymous. And, according to Primer Impacto, nobody in the indigenous community is willing to speak about the circumstances of the birth.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article stated that the "Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar" is an organization similar to the U.S.'s Planned Parenthood. But the "Instituto Colombiano de Bienestar Familiar" is a family welfare program with emphasis on attention of infants.
