The Public Ministry's Observatory of Paraguay released a detailed report on the criminal reality faced by indigenous communities in the country, highlighting the most frequent crimes and the most vulnerable regions. The study, presented in the context of International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples, reveals that domestic violence, bodily injuries, threats, intentional homicide, and sexual abuse of minors are among the most reported offenses.
The report points out that Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays concentrate the highest number of recorded incidents. In addition to violent crimes, cases of coercion, rape, environmental crimes – according to Law No. 716/96 – and aggravated robbery are also frequent.
Seven departments were identified as critical areas due to the high frequency of investigations. The advance of organized crime in these regions, combined with problems such as early pregnancy and family violence, has a devastating impact on the indigenous social fabric.
The Paraguayan judicial system applies a differentiated regime, supported by the National Constitution and the International Labour Organization (ILO) Convention 169, which recognizes the coexistence of state law with indigenous customary law, provided they do not violate fundamental human rights.
The Public Ministry's intervention protocol includes immediate notification to competent authorities, assignment of a specialized technical team, psychosocial care for the victim within the community – to avoid costly relocations – and the preparation of a legal-anthropological opinion to guide the legal process.
As explained by Viviana Benítez, a lawyer from the Public Ministry's Planning Directorate, "the configuration of the crime does not have a universal character, but depends on the cultural context." The Criminal Procedure Code allows for the dismissal of criminal charges if the conflict is resolved according to the community's customary norms and with the agreement of the parties, after judicial verification.
In addition to challenges related to violence, the report also highlights that migration to urban areas exposes indigenous peoples to social exclusion, loss of ethnic identity, and lack of support from their leaders and families.