I AM an indigenous Aymara woman and a survivor of the Achocalla concentration camp in Bolivia. This was a concentration camp I was forcefully taken to as a young university student because I was fighting against the dictatorial regime that was put in place by imperialism, and led by the colonial elite who had been in power since my peoples’ genocide.
 
Centuries ago in the Abya Yala, currently known as Latin America, my indigenous ancestors suffered a genocide similar to what just happened in Palestine.

In the name of civilisation, the colonial invaders mutilated and slaughtered my ancestors, raped the women, killed their children, ransacked their gold and silver to build Europe and stole their land.
 
Our African brothers and sisters were enslaved and exploited alongside my ancestors. The brutal colonial invaders wanted to exterminate us through genocide but failed because my ancestors resisted and fought against colonialism.
 
And we are here, the descendants of the 5 per cent that the Europeans could not kill and we will always be here, no matter how hard they try to minimise our existence. As our indigenous hero Tupak Katari said: “We are here in our millions.”
 
What happened to the Palestinian people is the continuation of colonialism and the genocide they have been facing since 1948. With rivers of blood, they have written the most painful history of the 21st century. Every day we watch with horror the constant killing of innocent Palestinians by the genocidal Israeli regime.
 
We witnessed hell on Earth in Palestine, like the hell my ancestors suffered centuries ago.
 
The West claims to defend human rights and freedom. What about the human rights of the Palestinian people? Where was the UN — shouldn’t it be here to defend people’s sovereignty?
 
Palestine has not been freed by these hypocritical Western institutions. Palestine will be freed by the Palestinians and their ongoing resistance, by the very people who we are forced to condemn in order to be seen as palatable and acceptable. Long live the Palestinian resistance!

We rejoice knowing that our brave Palestinian brothers and sisters will be back in their own land and they deserve to live in peace. All stolen land must be returned.
 
Gaza has fought to the end, showing the world dignity, popular resistance and resilience. After 76 years of Israeli impunity, the recent ceasefire agreement in Gaza is a victory for the Palestinian people.
 
We were not mistaken when we said, we are on the right side of history for an end of the genocide, land back and justice.
 
In memory of the thousands of men, women and children killed, let’s continue raising our voices in defence of the Palestinian people, let’s continue demanding freedom for Palestine until it is completely liberated.
 
Beloved Palestine, you are not alone. Your fight is our fight. Your fight is the fight of colonised people all over the world. May this horrific genocide end swiftly and all invaders be thrown out of Palestine. May true justice be served and all stolen land be returned to the rightful owners. Long live Palestine — long live the Abya Yala!
 
Miriam Amancay Colque is a longstanding indigenous activist and Bartolina Sisa Resistance spokesperson in Britain. (x.com/BartolinaLives).