Autogestion

Even well into the 1970s there was no  law that protected the indigenous peoples of  Paraguay to the point that it was not against the law to kill Indians. But in the early 1970s indigenous leaders sought to establish a system of "autogestion," in which the indigenous groups themselves would represent their own interests and push their own demands. And in 1981, indigenous groups won major legislative victories when the law of native communities (Law 901) recognized indigenous communities and their right to land. The Paraguayan Indigenous Institute (INDI) was created to implement these new laws but unfortunately the laws were not carried out. In 1992 recognized indigenous communities and their rights, emphasizing indigenous ethnic identity and their rights as peoples, as well as an explicit acceptance of cultural diversity.