Bishops in Paraguay raise awareness for land rights, indigenous people

Catholic bishops in Paraguay are calling for an urgent need for agrarian reform, a more equitable land distribution and tenancy rights especially for the indigenous peoples.

The Episcopal Commission for Social Pastoral Care has organized the “Paraguayan Social Week 2022” in Asunción October 25-27. While "land ownership in Paraguay" was the main theme for that meeting, it also dealt with the social, economic, productive, environmental, ethical and legal implications for a fair and supportive State policy.

Paraguay, with a population of 7.35 million people has no access to the sea and is essentially flat. Agriculture and hydroelectric resources form the basis of the economy. And it is estimated that about 85% of Paraguay's agricultural land is owned by 2% of the population and is a cause for numerous conflicts, especially with the rights of indigenous peoples.

This imbalance has been a long issue of interest for the Catholic Church in Paraguay, with bishops stressing the urgency for the need to promote agrarian reform and called on all different sectors of society to engage in genuine dialogue on land tenure and property issues. The Social Pastoral Commission — Caritas Paraguay has particularly been  committed to addressing the issue of land ownership and for a dialogue in justice and truth.

Cardinal Adalberto Martinez Flores of Asunción, president of the Episcopal Conference has also spoken about the problem of land tenure and property, as well challenges indigenous communities face and has called for peaceful, consensual solutions in line with the Social Doctrine of the Church.

Indigenous peoples are the most disadvantaged

In his past May message for the 211th anniversary of national independence from Spain, the cardinal spoke of how "the social and political reality of Paraguay challenges us as Christians” and how the country is marked by multiple forms of violence, poverty, crime. He had called for the need "to start changing mentalities, attitudes and cultural practices that impede the achievement of the common good" and the necessity to improve the living conditions of people, especially among vulnerable indigenous populations. 

The issue of land rights has also recently become a very contentious issue after Paraguay passed a law increasing the penalties of the courts in order to curb protests by farmers. Civil society organizations have also criticized a wave of evictions affecting indigenous, which intensified after the adoption of the Zavala-Riera Law in September 2021.

On December 10 International Human Rights Day last year for example, NGOs organized a mass mobilization in Asunción that brought together about 10,000 people and where they demanded respect for indigenous land rights and an end to forced evictions. 

"The indigenous peoples are the most disadvantaged. They are right, especially when it comes to land ownership. In Paraguay, we know that many of them have been deprived of their lands, which are of fundamental importance to them", said Bishop Robledo Romero of San Lorenzo. 

The preservation of indigenous lands is vital in maintaining spiritual, cultural, and communal well being of indigenous communities. A report by the United Nations’ Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples reveals that 75 percent live in poverty and that 40 percent are illiterate compared to 5.1 percent of the non-indigenous population. 

The UN report states that 134 of Paraguay’s almost 500 communities are landless and a further 145 are facing land possession issues, such as ownership disputes with private entities – in violation of Paraguayan law that recognizes the rights of indigenous peoples, including guaranteeing them access to land.