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Pan American experiences
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WORLD ------------------------------------------536[FEATURE] | |||
Charagua Iyambae, the Guarani territory that made autonomy an ecological toolBy Jazmin Agudelo for Ruta Pantera on 10/23/2025 11:31:40 AM |
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| Bolivia's first autonomous indigenous government combines community governance and environmental protection to address climate change from the Chaco region. In the heart of the Bolivian Chaco, the territory of Charagua Iyambae—governed by the Guaraní nation—represents a unique example of how Indigenous autonomy can become an effective tool for environmental conservation. In 2017, this space transformed from a traditional municipality to an Indigenous autonomous government, enabling a profound shift in decision-making: in El País, Eliberto Vasquez comments , "Previously, the mayor and his councilors made decisions there, at the table. Now, the assemblies have the power to make decisions." More than 75% of its approximately 71,000 km² are under some environmental protection regime. (El País) This surprising figure is no coincidence: it is part of a community-led corporate strategy that defines land use based on principles of ancestral governance and shared conservation. | ||||
| A new governance pact The structural transformation of Charagua Iyambae is almost unique in Bolivia. Upon assuming the status of indigenous autonomy, its inhabitants adopted their own governing bodies—legislative, executive, and deliberative—that operate based on their customs. According to an article in El País , "the new form of government transformed this area of Bolivia." (El País) This new contract between community and territory allows the Guaraní to define the conservation agenda from within: for example, three new productive projects linked to the forest—such as beekeeping—have flourished under this new scheme. In the Taputami region, local beekeeper Eliberto Vasquez explains that "August to April is honey season, and depending on the flowering season, we can harvest two or three crops," while working in a protected area that supplies water to more than 40 communities. (El País) His testimony reflects how forest conservation and productive development can go hand in hand when control and utilization remain in local hands. | ||||
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