Fifteen indigenous communities of the Paraguayan Central Chaco sign a cooperation agreement with ASCIM.
The cooperation agreements of indigenous communities with ASCIM are renewed annually for the respective accounting years. Thus, in the months of May and June of the year 2020, the cooperation agreements for the accounting year 2020 to 2021 were signed. An ASCIM representative previously visited the community administrators to request permission to enter the community when establishing cooperation agreements for the 2020-2021 accounting year, in compliance with the recent resolution (Resolution No. 171/20) issued by the Paraguayan Institute of the Indigenous (INDI).
Twelve of the fifteen communities that signed the agreement are associated with ASCIM. The other three are not members of ASCIM, but sign the cooperation agreement with the organization.
The cooperation of indigenous communities with ASCIM is voluntary and they are not obliged to sign the agreement. Also, in observance with Law No. 234/93 and Decree No. 1039/18 (Protocol for the process of free, prior and informed consultation and consent with indigenous peoples living in Paraguay), the agreement is not signed if there is no prior agreement on its content.