Witsanti (also ''Wit Santi''
) is an indigenous village of
Lokono and
Kalina Amerindians in the
resort
A resort (North American English) is a self-contained commercial establishment that tries to provide most of a vacationer's wants, such as food, drink, swimming, lodging, sports, entertainment, and shopping, on the premises. The term ''resort ...
of
Zuid in the
Para District in
Suriname
Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...
. The village is located on the John F. Kennedyweg near the
Johan Adolf Pengel International Airport.
Overview
Witsanti has a school and a clinic. The village chief is Patrick Mandé.
Indigenous land
Witsanti is at the centre of an indigenous land conflict. It started in 2007, when a court awarded 643 hectares of land which included a burial ground of the village to two Dutch heirs of the Tempoca plantation.
, who was born in Witsanti, was elected Minister of Land Policy and Forest Management in 2013. The village was hopeful that the land issue would be resolved in its favour. In 2013, the airport was awarded land of the village,
and in 2016, laid claim to another piece of indigenous land. A demonstration lead to the arrest of Patrick Mandé, the village chief, and one of his ''basjas'' (council members). On 8 June 2016, the main access road to the airport was blocked in protest.
On 24 November 2020, the village threatened to go to
Inter-American Court of Human Rights
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR or IACtHR) is an international court based in San José, Costa Rica. Together with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, it was formed by the American Convention on Human Rights, a huma ...
over the issue.
References
{{Surinamese District Para
Indigenous villages in Suriname
Populated places in Para District