In 2017, the region of Charagua Iyambae in Bolivia achieved a historic milestone: it transitioned from a traditional municipality to become the country’s first autonomous indigenous Guaraní government.
This territory, the size of Ireland with 71,000 square kilometers, managed to place more than 75% of its surface under environmental protection.
Thus, they managed to demonstrate that indigenous autonomy and conservation can go hand in hand. This success reflects the spirit of Bolivia’s first Guaraní government in the region.
Six Protected Areas in the Heart of the Gran Chaco
The Guaraní community of Charagua Iyambae in Bolivia currently has six protected areas covering most of its 71,000 square kilometers.
The territory is home to fewer than 40,000 inhabitants and stretches between the Aguaragüe mountain range and the vast dry plain of the Gran Chaco Americano that are part of Guaraní governance in Bolivia.
The will to protect the territory began before autonomy.
The Guaraní People’s Assembly had already created two national parks in 1995 and 1997:
- The Kaa Iya National Park of the Gran Chaco
- The Otuquis National Park
“The Kaa Iya National Park was created by the Guaraní people in response to the advance of the agricultural frontier promoted by the government in the 90s,” explains José Ávila, director of protected areas of Charagua Iyambae.
Since 2019, four more areas have been added, each with specific objectives.
The Guajukaka Life Area protects the Chaco guanaco, a camelid in danger of extinction.
Meanwhile, the Irenda Water Management Area, in the Aguaragüe mountain range, functions as a water recharge zone that supplies more than 40 communities.
How the New Form of Governance Transformed This Area of Bolivia
The change to autonomous indigenous government, a figure recognized in the Bolivian Constitution of 2009, transformed the governance of the territory.
“Previously, the mayor and his councilors decided there, at the table. Now, the assemblies have decision-making power,” says Eliberto Vasquez, a beekeeper from the Taputami community. This transition to a Guaraní indigenous government has been fundamental in Bolivia.
Although Charagua maintains a deliberative assembly, a legislative body, and an executive, these primarily serve to formalize the decisions of the community assemblies.
“Perhaps in some way the mechanisms are a bit longer in terms of achieving the execution of mandates, but the important thing in all this is that it comes from the people, from their desire, their vision of how they want to live”, reflects José Ávila in dialogue with El País.
The Balance Between Conservation and Economic Development
The protected areas seek to balance the conservation of the territory with the improvement of living conditions.
“A lot of institutions come to tell us to conserve the forest, the air, and the water,” says Milton Huayrana, local manager of the Fundación Natura Bolivia.
And he reinforces: “It’s important, but we are also hungry, and we have needs.”
Therefore, sustainable productive projects are promoted for the sustainability of Bolivia’s first autonomous Guaraní government.
Eliberto Vasquez, for example, received hives and bee nuclei through the autonomous government seven years ago.
Today he has 18 hives and is a member of the Eirenda producers association.
“Previously, the management of our honey producers association was not very good, but we have received training in administration, in accounting, and now it’s better,” he says.
The Challenges of Bolivia’s First Autonomous Indigenous Guaraní Government
In 2024, Charagua Iyambae adopted its own protected areas law, drafted in 2020. This is a reflection of the Bolivian solution to the challenges of the Guaraní government.
“It gives us greater possibility to manage from ancestral knowledge, with greater social participation and with mechanisms that adapt to our reality,” clarifies José Ávila.
However, significant challenges persist. One of the most serious is that funding is insufficient.
Only 1.5% of the budget that the government receives from tax sharing is allocated to protected areas.
Therefore, Charagua is exploring mechanisms such as carbon credits, allowed in Bolivia since 2024.
Another problem is external pressures. “Business, productive interests, and even the Government itself infringe on this lack of respect towards the Guaraní people,” laments Ávila.
A recent example is the Santa Cruz department’s project to create an international route to Paraguay.
This would fragment the Ñembi Guazu protected area, ancestral territory inhabited by Ayoreos in voluntary isolation.
“We have to continue this fight to maintain our natural resources for our grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and all the generations to come,” concludes the director of protected areas.
