Margarita Vargas López facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Margarita Vargas López
|
|
|---|---|
Margarita Vargas López
|
|
| Member of the Constitutional Convention of Chile | |
| In office July 4, 2021 – July 4, 2022 |
|
| Preceded by | office established |
| Succeeded by | office abolished |
| Constituency | Kawésqar at-large |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Margarita Virginia Vargas López
October 30, 1969 Villa Puerto Edén, Chile |
| Occupation | Politician |
Margarita Virginia Vargas López was born on October 30, 1969. She is a Chilean politician with Kawésqar heritage. In 2021, she was chosen to represent the Kawésqar people in a special group called the Constitutional Convention. This group helped write new rules for Chile. Besides politics, Margarita Vargas is also a social activist. She works to help her community and has written articles for a newspaper called El Mostrador.
Early Life and Heritage
Margarita Vargas was born in a very remote place called Villa Puerto Edén in Última Esperanza Province. The Kawésqar people call this place Jetarkte, and it is their homeland. When Margarita was a child, her family lived a nomadic life. This means they moved around a lot, sailing near Wellington Island and other nearby areas.
From a young age, Margarita was very proud of her Kawésqar background. She remembers feeling proud "even though they made fun of us when we were children." When she was 10, she moved to Punta Arenas to go to school. Margarita says that a time when the military ruled Chile (from 1973 to 1990) made things hard for the Kawésqar people. They were forced to leave their traditional lands. She explained that this made them enter "a western world that did not understand us."
Margarita's grandmother, Margarita Molinari Edén, was also an activist for the Kawésqar people. She worked to protect their culture. After her grandmother passed away in 1999, Margarita worried that the Kawésqar traditions might disappear. She felt her grandmother was the last person who kept the customs alive.
Working for the Kawésqar People
Margarita Vargas continued her grandmother's work. She tried to get the government to protect old Kawésqar cultural items. These items were put together in a collection in 1971. However, in 2018, a court in Punta Arenas said no to her request.
Margarita also worked closely with a government office that helps indigenous people. This office is in the Magallanes Region. Together, they worked to create legal protections for Kawésqar communities. These communities are in Villa Puerto Edén, Punta Arenas, and Puerto Natales. She also helped get protections for the Yaghan people, another indigenous group from Navarino Island.
Political Role
In 2021, Margarita Vargas ran for a special election. This election was to choose members for the Constitutional Convention. The Kawésqar people had a special seat reserved for them in this group. Margarita was elected and started her work on July 4, 2021.
Margarita has spoken out about Chile's fishing rules. She believes these rules do not consider the old fishing ways of indigenous groups. She also supports gender parity in government. This means having an equal number of men and women in leadership roles. She points out that Kawésqar culture has always valued equal roles for men and women. Margarita also wants to see indigenous unity. She thinks the Kawésqar people should work with the Yaghan people and Selk'nam people to achieve their shared goal of self-determination. This means having the right to make their own decisions about their future.
See also
In Spanish: Margarita Vargas López para niños
