“We demand respect for the rights of indigenous peoples and the laws that govern them; we demand that priority be given to the right to land and property for all Paraguayans,” the nation’s bishops said in a message to the nation’s government. “We turn to you to express our deep concern over the forced evictions and threats of expulsion of indigenous and peasant communities in various areas of the country.”

The bishops’ statement follows a reported wave of evictions in the South American nation of 7.2 million (map).