Some protection at last for Ayoreo territory

At a recent meeting in Paris, UNESCO approved a joint request by the Paraguayan government and supporters of the Ayoreo Indians to include a large area of Ayoreo forest in the new Chaco Biosphere Reserve.

All the land being claimed by the Ayoreo (comprising about a fifth of their traditional territory) will fall within the borders of the new Reserve, including both privately-held land and some areas already secured for the Indians. It remains to be seen what degree of protection the area's new status will confer.