This essay delves into the challenges faced by indigenous peoples, using Colombia as a case study, to protect their fundamental rights. The rights of indigenous people are those that must be recognised as fundamentally different from current ‘universal’ human rights as provided for under international human rights law. The use of the word universal to discuss human rights fails to provide context and cultural specificity to social groups and perpetuates a neo-colonial power imbalance between states and indigenous peoples. This essay will discuss the ability of international frameworks and national instruments to provide and recognise actionable rights to indigenous people in Colombia
