AN OPEN LETTER IN SUPPORT OF THE COFÁN PEOPLE AND AGAINST THE ACTIVITIES OF ALBERTO JOSÉ VARELA

News Clip: http://www.elespectador.com/noticias/educacion/el-respaldo-de-100-academicos-al-pueblo-cofan-articulo-583442
Full Open Letter: http://www.ayahuasca.com/amazon/carta-abierta-de-apoyo-al-pueblo-cofan-y-contra-las-actividades-de-alberto-jose-varela/
Video Ukumary Kankhe Sucumbios Traditional medicine Yage (Ayahuasca): https://vimeo.com/138279739
100 renowned anthropologists, members of non-governmental organizations, and other specialists who have worked with native peoples in Colombia and nearby regions have signed an open letter expressing their support for the authorities of the Cofán people in their denunciation of the activities of Mr. Alberto José Varela involving Yajé, also known as Ayahuasca.
In their public pronunciation the Cofán authorities have declared that:

• Mr. Varela’s organization markets Yajé ceremonies by fraudulently alluding to supposed permission or approval from the indigenous Yajé-using authorities of Colombia;
• His organization has turned the Yajé medicine into a lucrative business, posing a serious threat to the health and life of those who participate in these ceremonies.

With this Open Letter in Support of the Cofán People, the signees condemn Mr. Varela’s appropriation and fraudulent use of the name and traditions of the native peoples of Colombia, and the Cofán in particular, in order to legitimize his business activities. They also express their concern over the proliferation of this and other business ventures that employ Yajé solely in the interest of making a profit. Mr. Varela’s organization, “Ayahuasca International,” is a particularly shocking case, consisting of a network of interlocking companies, web pages, and Facebook profiles that Varela himself refers to as “the first multinational corporation dedicated to Ayahuasca”:

• This business model employs aggressive marketing techniques, including significant investments in advertising and social media, with the goal of turning Yajé into a commodity of mass consumption, generating artificial demand for this medicine and taking advantage of the ignorance and vulnerability of many people;
• In an irresponsible effort to expand the business, facilitators are given superficial courses through the “European Ayahuasca School,” such that people with minimal experience and training can conduct Yajé ceremonies;
• In a likewise irresponsible manner, this medicine is advertised and sold directly over the Internet through the company “Ayahuasca Planet” to anyone, without any control;
• As a result of this improper, disrespectful, and irresponsible use of the Yajé medicine, a growing number of people have described reprehensible practices, contrary to the principles laid out in the ethics codes and best-practice guidelines proposed by diverse organizations working to defend appropriate uses of Ayahuasca.

The signees are not opposed to the expansion of Yajé use per se, nor to the plurality and diversity of its spiritual and therapeutic uses. Instead, they affirm that the diffusion of these practices should always be based on knowledge, respect, and ethics. The activities of Albert José Varela represent a danger not only to those who take part in his organization’s ceremonies, but also, more generally, to the expansion and consolidation of these practices beyond their region of origin.