The Afro-Paraguayan Community of Cambacua
Cambacuá is an Afro-Paraguayan community of 300 families (c. 2,000 individuals) located some 15 km to the east of the Paraguayan capital Asunción in the municipality of Fernando de la Mora. Just over 30 years ago, the community was violently dispossessed of over 90 per cent of its land by the Paraguayan state. Since then, in the face of human rights abuses, immense poverty and racial discrimination, the community has been immersed in a struggle both to retain its identity and to have its traditional land restored. This is the story of that struggle.
Please note that the terminology in the fields of minority rights and indigenous peoples’ rights has changed over time. MRG strives to reflect these changes as well as respect the right to self-identification on the part of minorities and indigenous peoples. At the same time, after over 50 years’ work, we know that our archive is of considerable interest to activists and researchers. Therefore, we make available as much of our back catalogue as possible, while being aware that the language used may not reflect current thinking on these issues.