Paraguay: Indigenous People Camping in Front of Government for Over Two Weeks

For more than two weeks, approximately 200 Indigenous people have been camping in front of Paraguay’s Ministry of National Emergencies (Secretaria de Emergencia Nacional) for more than 15 days. The encampment is comprised of members from at least eight Indigenous communities, which are primarily making demands related to land and assistance with crops.

According to Francisco Silva, one of the Indigenous leaders at the site, several of the communities are requesting the Paraguayan Government to purchase more than 5,400 acres of land in the area of Simón Bolívar. Additionally, Joaquín Domínguez, another Indigenous leader, indicated that others are there seeking the construction of a school in the Inidgenous community of Mondaymi, which is the San Joaquín district (near Asunción).

As the weather has become colder, the protestors have begun asking for blankets and food. According to Tomás Domínguez, the leader of the Indigenous community Arroyo Guasu, the cold, wet weather has resulted in children becoming sick within the group.

According to Marcelo Mancuello, the Chief of Staff at the Ministry of National Emergencies, the process of locating shelters for the Indigenous people has begun. In addition, Mancuello indicated that the Ministry’s facilities were offered and that they will continue to monitor the situation with the sick children.