Jesuit-Guaraní

Spanish Jesuit priests settled between 16th and 18th centuries in a great jungle area in South America where now is Paraguay, southern Brazil and northeastern Argentina. While their mission was to colonize and evangelize the native people living in the area, the Guaraní, their relationship was very particular. The two cultures mixed and many characteristics spread to the present day. Reaching 30 settlements in that area called Province of Paraguay at the time, the colonies somehow served as a protection to the natives from the violent attacks of the Spanish and Portuguese colonizers in search of slave labour. A political system led by both priests and native leaders, the caciques, managed the reductions successfully, becoming a sort of socialist theocracy. The economic success of the jesuit missions — result of the commercial trade happening between them — and their relative independence from the Spanish government raised suspicions that a secession dispute could happen at any time. This fear culminated in the expulsion of the jesuits from all the Spanish territories in the Americas under command of King Carlos III in 1767, exactly ten years after Portugal has made it fashion in what now is Brazilian territory.

Starting in Foz do Iguaçu (Iguassu Falls), Brazil, I crossed the border to Argentina and then Paraguay and back on a week-long trip to the region. I covered small distances up to 30 km (19 mi) by bicycle while anything greater than that would be covered by bus, totalling over 800 km (500 mi). One of the photos from this trip made it to two different editions (one, two) of the book “Man Made Wonders of The World” by DK Books, being one of them in partnership with the Smithsonian Institute.