The Struggle for Land at the Centre of the Earth
The Paĩ Tavyterã community of Yvy Pyte is one step closer to securing its ancestral territory.

The discussion can barely be heard over the roaring hum of cicadas in full song. The sky seems to promise rain, increasing the climate of uncertainty in Yvy Pyte, a community of the Paĩ Tavyterã Indigenous People. It’s just minutes before the scheduled arrival of the magistrate from the nearby city of Pedro Juan Caballero and a team from the Paraguayan Indigenous Institute (Indi), the state institution charged with protecting the rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Luis Arce, president of the Paĩ Jopotyra Association and leader of Ita Guasú, another Paĩ community also located in the department of Amambay, takes his turn to speak. He paces, illustrating his points with his hands. "We've worked hard to get to this point. Now we must feel our strength (ñamotuicha), so we can keep pushing for our lands to be legalised. There is no respect for our lands, partly because the title deeds have not been issued to us", he says.
Now and then, the other leaders and the many women, men and children who are present applaud and shout: "That's right!" There is a collective sense of achievement and celebration.
We are in front of the ceremonial temple (oypysy) of Yvy Pyte, which means “centre of the Earth”. This is where the spiritual grandfather Simorio González, a historical defender of this ancestral territory, lives. It is also the meeting point agreed upon to officially begin a legal survey of the lands at Yvy Pyte, as part of a series of measures the community has been carrying out since 2020 in defence of its territory.
Past the surrounding forest, the imposing silhouette of the sacred hill Jasuka Venda can be seen. It is the site where Ñande Ramói Papa, creator deity of the Paĩ Tavyterã, brought into being the world and everything in it. Both Jasuka Venda and Yvy Pyte, due to its proximity and close relationship to the sacred hill, are vitally important for the continuation of the Paĩ Tavyterã way of life (teko) and its ancestral principles.
When the elders recall the historical defence of the land at Yvy Pyte, they speak of a time they describe as "Samaniego tiempo" (the era of Samaniego).
In 1954, through the efforts of General Marcial Samaniego, the community was recognised by the Agrarian Reform Institute (IRA), the institution then responsible for the management of public lands. It was thus one of the first Indigenous Colonies to be acknowledged by the state, with 13,600 hectares of public lands. Later, in 1977, it was stripped of part of this land, being left with 11,313 hectares. Sometime afterwards, part of the land was bought in the name of Indi, in the interests of the community.
Since then, the leaders of Paĩ Tavyterã associations and community representatives have been demanding the completion of the process of legalising all their land. This has been undertaken in a context of continual invasions, the destruction of their forests, acts of violence and forced displacement of the community's people. Now, the legal survey — in addition to being a historic milestone for securing titles to the land — is of crucial importance for moving forward with a legal process to evict a group of armed men who have invaded Yvy Pyte.
The difficult situation of Yvy Pyte forms part of a much broader crisis in Paraguay. A 2015 United Nations report states that, despite constitutional guarantees for their territory, 134 of Paraguay's nearly 500 indigenous communities are landless — and a further 145 only have a precarious hold on their land due to outside threats. Furthermore, the number of forced evictions suffered by indigenous communities has increased sharply in recent years.
“What is beginning today is historic,” says Silvino Mendoza, leader of the Cerro Akangue community and president of the Paĩ Retã Joaju Association. “We are going to stand together in support of Yvy Pyte.”
The first raindrops fall from the sky as we see the vehicle of the Indi’s team arrive. The leaders go forward to greet the new arrivals with firm handshakes. The early appearance of the state officials seems to bring some relief and reassurance to the wait.
Antonio Fretes, Indi's land surveyor, approaches those gathered to express his greetings. “Once these initial steps are done, the work on the survey itself will only start in the second half of February or the first half of March next year,” he says.
The news of this new wait leaves everyone in silence. Fretes seems to realise this and adds that it's best to wait until then, as civil servants will be back to work after their holidays by then. He asks who the leaders of Yvy Pyte are, and they raise their hands. He explains that they are the ones who will sign the survey’s legal document today and will accompany the fieldwork when the time comes.
Yvy Pyte leader Andrés Brítez speaks next. He highlights the advocacy work of the Paĩ Tavyterã, both nationally and abroad, to highlight the issues at Yvy Pyte.
He places special emphasis on the young leader Rosalba Gómez, who went as a representative of the Paĩ people to the 23rd session of the permanent forum of the United Nations in April 2024. Alongside Yvy Pyte leader Nora Rosati, she also went to a women's meeting in Mexico City, where they told delegates of the great urgency of the situation of Yvy Pyte. In addition, the leader stressed the importance of involving institutions, authorities and organisations in a support network to move forward the process of land legalisation.
One of the strategies for the defence of the Yvy Pyte's land has been the creation of the Intersectoral Working Group for the Legal Defence of Yvy Pyte, formed by representatives of the organisations Áry Ojeasojavo, the National Coordination of Indigenous Pastoral (Conapi), the Archdiocesan Indigenous Pastoral, the Committee of Churches and state institutions such as the Public Ministry, the Ombudsman's Office, Indi and the National Institute for Rural Development and Land (Indert).
Rosalba Gómez then speaks, expressing words of satisfaction and gratitude for having reached the beginning of the land survey after arduous collective work. “This is a very important step forward and we need as many people as possible from the different communities to get involved,” says the leader. “Go from house to house, bring your children, your family, we all have to be here.”
A second vehicle enters the clearing by the oypysy. The lawyer Jimmy Ávila and the magistrate Andrea Porzio get out. A group of women set up a table and a couple of chairs under the shade of the trees. This improvised office will be the scene of a historic event for the Paĩ Tavyterã, surrounded by one of the last remnants of forest in the area, which continues to be under their care.
The judge recommends getting started before it rains. One after another, the leaders come forward with their documents, as well as Ávila, the lawyer, and the surveyor, Fretes. Once the document is finished, its contents is read aloud, and the leaders come forward again to sign.
“Has everyone signed?”, asks the magistrate. The name of Simorio begins to be repeated around the circle: “Don Simorio hasn't signed; Don Simorio hasn't signed.” The leaders explain to the judge that the elder cannot come to sign because he is in poor health. Without hesitating, she answers: “Then let's go to him.” The gathering disperses and everyone sets off towards the temple.
It is an exciting moment. The tekoaruvicha (spiritual leader) often says that he cannot leave this world in peace until the lands of Yvy Pyte are legally secure. Now, in the half-light of the oypysy, surrounded by women, children and men of several different generations, he signs his name as a symbol of hope.
Christian Kent, Sofía Espíndola and William Costa form part of Áry Ojeasojavo, which accompanies the work of the communities and associations of the Paĩ Tavyterã people.