Since June 24, 1994, it has been celebrated in the Pampa Galeras National Reserve -coinciding with the "Day of the Peasant" - the famous "Fiesta del Chaccu" -which in Quechua means "capture of vicuñas" - with the numerous participation of community members, tourists and authorities.
It is a beautiful and representative tradition, whose origins go back to the time of the ancient Peruvians, in which the people were summoned to perpetuate a ritual to the land in gratitude for the protection granted by the gods.
This commemoration of millennial cultural significance is described in the documented chronicles of Pedro Cieza de León, Bernabé Cobo, Garcilaso de la Vega, among others. There is no known such a large display of people - from the ayllus - and wild animals that harmonize the objectives of local inhabitants to preserve a species and its environment. This activity allowed the aborigines to meet and form an immense fence of herding vicuñas until they were cornered for their shearing and subsequent elaboration of clothing for royalty and their descendants.
A pertinent comment in parentheses in relation to the "ayllu".
According to a reference by the illustrious historian, academic and writer Luis Eduardo Valcárcel Vizcarra, in his article "The indigenous communities of Peru", which appeared in Indigenous Peru (1953): "The persistence of the ayllu that for myopic people is an obstacle to the economic development of the On the contrary, the country is one of the most effective means of promoting it, since in other countries, such as Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Brazil, where social improvement projects are carried out, it tends to artificially form producer communities. Fortunately, Peru has had them, from time immemorial and with a vitality and freshness that augur a development that will amaze the next generations ”.
The vicuña is an admirable South American exponent appreciated by our ancestors. An ancestral effigy of the Andean universe and highly prized for its valuable and fine fiber, which, by the way, has sold for $ 2,500 per meter of fabric in European markets. This important wild genus continues to await becoming an alternative to ensure the economic and social well-being of the peasant sectors.
History
Let's make a little history about the behind the scenes of the successful rescue phase of its extinction. When British expert Ian Grimwood arrived in Peru - its population was at its lowest rate - it reported the existence of almost 5,000 specimens, of which 1,000 were in the Pampa Galeras area (Lucanas, Ayacucho). That reason motivated Felipe Benavides Barreda, president of the Board of National and Zonal Parks (Parnaz), to negotiate economic and technical cooperation in order to implement the first protected natural area of this camelid: the Pampa Galeras National Reserve (1967).
For almost two decades the effective assistance of the German Federal Republic was channeled to save this species with the intention of usufruct its wool. It was possible to reach a favorable census that made it easier for the government to present at the sixth annual conference of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites). -Made in Canada in 1987.- The request on behalf of the members of the Vicuña Convention (Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru) to manufacture garments "from the shearing of live animals", registered with the brand "Vicuñandes -Peru".
Without hesitation, a new era of prospects began.
This authorization - unanimously approved and, in addition, praised by global scientific and environmental organizations - was expected to give way to a shared and reconciled process of participation between communities, national private companies and the State. This last one in charge of the commercialization of the fabrics. Unfortunately, as Felipe warned, "many of the great conservationist causes turned into international struggles, sooner or later, enter the field of disappointment."
From 1991, this approach was distorted, aimed at ensuring its use. Wrong, demagogic, and irresponsible legal provisions were passed that gave the peasantry their tenure and usufruct. And, especially, the scheme granted by the Cites was dismantled. Consequently, the economic profit achieved to this day is inconsistent with the demands of the social actors dedicated to its conservation, management and exploitation.
The vicuña lacks a solid competent institutional framework to guide its destiny.
It is essential that the frivolous, pusillanimous and insensitive bureaucracy in the capital interpret the feelings of rural associations, articulate their demands and work in favor of their full aspirations. It is time to begin the necessary transformations aimed at the inclusion of vicuña in the sustained development agenda.
On the other hand, we must face the very serious consequences of their poaching in our distant mountains.
It is convenient to establish coordination systems with the police, border agents, devise a strict legal system and implement training programs in judicial instances. It is imperative to strengthen the autonomy and management capacity of the communities to provide training and channel financing conducive to facing this drama of undoubted implications.
My solidarity tribute to the villager of the old hacienda, to the modern farmer and to the landowner who struggles without effort to exalt social justice. My sincere adherence because they also feed us with their unequivocal example of commitment, faith and perseverance.
In this regard, I am pleased to share what Luis Eduardo said in his writing "The problems of the peasantry" (El Comercio, June 24, 1955).
“On this Day of the Indian, all infertile lyricism must disappear: its problem is that of the peasant in general, which can only be solved in the light of science and with procedures of the most refined technique. The national conscience is formed about the immense value of our peasantry, which is made up of more than six million men who can produce and consume much more than today, contributing to the general development of the country and its imperious economic independence. ”
Above heated controversies, unfulfilled illusions and legitimate unmet expectations, the vicuña is an emblem of our Peruvian identity. And, by the way, it denotes the absence of mechanisms focused on inserting a natural resource of incalculable dividends into the existence of thousands of men and women. I embrace the conviction that the Andean locals receive compensated for their efforts, deliveries and sacrifices to guarantee the survival of this imposing symbol. It will be a noble act of honesty.
