The Tooshe Qaltaq indigenous community, of the Qom people, settled for more than four decades on the right-of-way of the Ministry of Public Works and Communications (MOPC), near kilometer 122 of Route PY12, is threatening to block the road if the state continues to fail to provide a definitive solution for the acquisition of land for its families.
Residents say the asphalt paving works on the stretch, financed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), have heightened the urgency of finding a safe and permanent site for the community, which lives in extremely precarious conditions, without adequate access to basic services.
Following a recent meeting with representatives of the Paraguayan Indigenous Institute (INDI), leader Eustaquio Ávalos reiterated the historic demand and called for the land purchase commitment to translate into concrete action. "We no longer want to be lied to," he said, referring to the various promises made over the years without effective results.
Community leaders say that if there is no progress in the coming weeks, they will consider forceful measures to pressure the responsible institutions for a response. The conflict reflects a recurring issue in the Paraguayan Chaco, where several indigenous communities continue to await the regularization of their territories and access to basic development conditions.