After the catastrophic war against the Triple Alliance, the country was crisscrossed by bitter political struggles and episodes of civil war between gangs, supported by Brazil and Argentina, who competed for the division of the Paraguayan territory. The Colorado party was in power and governed uninterruptedly from 1870 to 1904 when it was ousted by…
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Paraguay is a country with a strong rural vocation where the agri-food sector predominates, firmly in the hands of the landed oligarchies active in the production of soya, mostly transgenic, wheat, and rice. These crops also constitute the majority of exported goods, together with hydroelectric energy of which the country is the world’s leading exporter…
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The country has a population of 7,353,000 inhabitants, with a population density of approximately 16 people per km2, of whom 56% live in urban areas. The distribution on the territory is uneven because only a small percentage, around 3% of the Paraguayan population, which is largely mestizo and descended from Spaniards and indigenous people, live…
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The ancient capital of Guatemala, a baroque jewel among the mountains, is the scene of spectacular processions on carpets of flowers in the days before Easter. Holy Week is not just devotion, it combines faith, religiosity, art, gastronomy, life stories and mutual help. Evocative processions pass through the streets of the historic centre covered with…
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A landlocked country with almost all its rivers navigable. The difficult road to independence. Lugo’s parenthesis. The world of the triple frontier. The landed oligarchies. Paraguay nestles in the heart of the southern Latin American cone between Bolivia, which surrounds it to the north and northwest, Brazil which it borders to the east, and Argentina…
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Last January it recalled the 30th anniversary of the North American Free Trade Agreement signed between the United States, Canada and Mexico as well as the insurrection of the Zapatista movement. The indigenous movement that broke out at that time, led by the so-called “Subcomandante Marcos”, still exists in the Mexican state of Chiapas (bordering…
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The Chacobos are an indigenous people living on the banks of the Benicito River in Northeastern Bolivia. Let’s get to know them through their clothing. The clothing of the Chacobos is made with material that Mother Nature gives them, mainly strips of bark from leafy trees. They like to adorn themselves with seed bracelets. Chacobo…
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The marambiré is the most authentic African ritual of all Amazonia. Its rhythm is similar to that of the candomblè, whose costumes, musical instruments, coloured ribbons and rhythm are reminiscent of African heritage. It is a display that goes back to the time of slavery. It has been celebrated for almost two centuries and is…
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A Nicaraguan mask play that defies the arrogance of the powerful with style and creativity. An extraordinary portrait of non-violent resistance. It is an essential part of Nicaraguan culture. The January wind cuts a path through the peaceful town of Diriamba, 45Km from the capital Managua. Diriamba owes its name to Cacique Diriangen, the legendary…
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The Q’Owaku ritual is performed as a blessing for workers or builders in the cities of Bolivia. But what does q’owaku mean? What is the difference between the q’owaku of the ancient Andean communities and the ritual of the bricklayers of the city of Cochabamba? Let’s find out. The q’owaku is an ancient ritual of…
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There are more than 120 communities distributed on the islands of the large Santana archipelago on the Amazon River, in Amapá. The fundamental role of community leaders. An urgent need to have permanent deacons. Two missionaries explain their pastoral activities. We are in the North of Brazil, in the diocese of Macapá. Father Raul, a…
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In Colombia, the Medellín Philharmonic Orchestra has brought together the victims of armed conflict and various armed groups to learn music, create a choir and compose songs. Through music, they are healing the scars left by fifty years of war. Luz Mery González Caicedo, who died last August, was one of the women whose soul…
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“What we would like to achieve when we talk about peace. Peace means self-determination. Peace means biological conservation. Peace means revitalization of our culture and…
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At that time Viracocha, the creator God, looked down upon the earth. He saw it was bare, shrouded in impenetrable darkness, for daylight did not yet…
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“Young Africans are playing an active role in bringing social change in the continent. They are contributing daily to the benefit of their communities and nations…
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