Tarcila Rivera Zea, who is an indigenous leader and defender of the rights of the Andean and Amazonian peoples in Peru, and the singer-songwriter and defender of Afro-descendant cultural expressions, Susana Baca, are the first Peruvian women of historically excluded peoples to be part of the National Elections Jury’s (JNE in Spanish) Electoral Ethical Pact Honor Tribunal.

Its standing members include former Constitutional Court Judge Delia Revoredo Marsano, the lawyer Oswaldo Hundskopf and the former JNE member Gastón Soto Vallenas. The two alternate members are Ruth Shady and Carmen McEvoy.

“This honorary appointment is a relevant event. As representatives of historically excluded sectors in our country, in this case, indigenous and Afro-descendant people, we have the responsibility to speak from our own diversity and cultures and remain vigilant in the upcoming elections. It is therefore our task to ensure respect for the candidates’ honor and dignity and to avoid situations of discrimination at all costs and insults of any kind”, says Rivera Zea.

This Tribunal has the mandate to ensure respect for the commitments contained in the Electoral Ethical Pact and to guide the conduct of participants and representatives of political organizations. These commitments seek to create political consensus and ethical behavior guidelines for good political practices among candidates and political organizations during the electoral process.

As part of its tasks, the Honor Issue will issue statements, to which the political groups and candidates taking part in the elections will voluntarily abide, with the commitment to run a campaign with democratic values ​​and principles throughout the electoral process.

Since 2005, the JNE has been promoting a citizen control system, as well as the signing of the Electoral Ethical Pact, as good practices that seek to establish basic principles and commitments that would guide the behavior among political actors during campaigns.

To date, 19 political parties have confirmed that they will sign this commitment on January 28.

“I hope our work will contribute to having more viable and realistic proposals, executable in five years. We hope that they are clean, honest and transparent campaigns, based on mutual respect,” concluded Rivera Zea.

Tarcila Rivera Zea is one of the most recognized indigenous activists in Peru and the world. For more than 30 years she has been defending the rights of indigenous peoples through her organization, CHIRAPAQ, and her involvement in other networks and institutions, focusing on indigenous women, children and youth.

She has received awards from UNICEF, the Ford Foundation, the Sacred Fire Foundation and the Ministry of Culture of Peru for her distinguished career and valuable contributions to the promotion and defense of  indigenous peoples’ rights and cultures.