Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Asunción (Agenzia Fides) - A relatively new phenomenon, that is rapidly evolving in Paraguay, concerns the natives who are expelled from their native lands and sent to cities such as Asunción and Ciudad del Este. The complaint comes from the National coordination of Indigenous Pastoral (Conapi). The expulsion from their lands by large landowners, producers of soya and cattle ranchers, and the lack of protection from the State, force the natives from different ethnic groups to go to the big cities in search of sustenance and support. Half of the more than 112,000 indigenous people in Paraguay do not own land, they are sent away, they arrive in the city where they face serious problems of acceptance by the population.
According to Conapi, the indigenous people living on the streets of Asunción and Ciudad del Este are involved in situations such as alcoholism, drug addiction and prostitution. According to the Government 75% of them live in extreme poverty. Their linguistic culture is divided in 5 strains (Guaraní, mataco, zamuco, maskoy and guaicurú), each with their own variations. To try to address a small part of this complex problem, Conapi organized the seminar "Indigenous people in urban areas", which was attended by leaders and members of indigenous communities who live in the city, who shared experiences, needs and challenges. Great attention was given to the socio-economic and cultural aspects of the current situation of indigenous peoples in urban areas, as well as the political and anthropological. (AP) (Agenzia Fides 29/09/2014)
