Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Cochabamba (Agenzia Fides) – With the slogan "Bread shared for the life of the world", the Catholic Church in Cochabamba proposes to collect funds on the 5th Sunday of Lent, 22 March, to purchase medicines and food supplies to combat serious malnutrition affecting many of the children in the Isiboro Sécure Indigenous Territory and National Park, known as Tipnis, see Fides 29/11/2012). The Initiative was presented by Father José Gallo, Bishops’ Delegate for Social Caritas Pastoral care in the archdiocese of Cochabamba
A report sent to Fides expresses the hope that this new initiative may lead the archdiocese to undertake a serious programme of solidarity with the Tipnis territory. In fact there has been little change in the situation since the Church issued a report in 2012, presenting it to the Permanent Human Rights Assembly. The report was drafted at the request of the indigenous organisation in the Tipnis area (see Fides 06/12/2012).
At the time the Church was committed to working in that area "at the service of people and communities in situations of need, poverty, social exclusion, in collaboration and in harmony with other public and private bodies” (see Fides 17/04/2013). Sporadic intervention must now be replaced by a comprehensive and on-going aid programme.
The Isiboro Sécure territory and National Park, better known as Tipnis, situated between the departments of Beni (Moxos province) and Cochabamba (Chapare), is the fourth largest important park in Bolivia. According to facts collected by Fides, more than 60 communities live in Tipnis, there is widespread poverty and many children die for lack of medical care and sanitation, or from malnutrition and other diseases. (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 24/02/2015)
