Puerto Casado, Paraguay, Residents Still Lack Land Titles Two Decades After Unification Church Purchase

Puerto Casado, a town in the Chaco region of Paraguay’s Alto Paraguay department, passed into the hands of the Unification Church, also known as the Moon sect, more than 20 years ago. According to the report, the church acquired the land in 2000 through the World Peace Foundation, an organization it describes as linked to the movement, from the company Carlos Casado S.A., an Argentine-origin firm that had operated in the area since the 19th century. The report gives two figures for the purchase, saying in one place that it covered more than 500,000 hectares and in another more than 348,000 hectares, including the town.

The purchase included forest and livestock land, urban infrastructure and housing where hundreds of families lived. The report says the religious group has since administered the town and controlled much of its territory, a situation that has caused conflicts with residents and led to legal proceedings that remain in place. The case has raised questions in Paraguay and abroad about the degree of foreign influence over Paraguayan territory.

The Unification Church was founded in South Korea in 1954 by Sun Myung Moon, who, the report states, claimed to be the new messiah sent by God to complete work that he said Jesus had not finished. The report says the movement’s doctrine combines elements of Christianity with Moon’s own beliefs, including what it calls the “Theology of Unification.” Beyond its religious activity, the organization has built a global business network with investments in media, universities, fishing, agriculture and real estate. The report also states that in several countries the group has been marked by psychological manipulation, coercive control and the appropriation of its members’ assets, and that it continues to operate, including in Latin American countries.

Residents of Puerto Casado have spent years seeking legal recognition of their homes. Many say they have lived in the area for generations, but they lack ownership titles, which the report says leaves them legally vulnerable to the control exercised by Victoria S.A., a company linked to the religious movement. Residents have denounced attempts to evict them and have asked the Paraguayan State to intervene. Families without titles need someone to speak on their behalf (Proverbs 31:8-9).

In 2005, the report says, more than 100 inhabitants walked 630 kilometres to Asunción to demand a definitive solution from the Paraguayan State. The report states that the church offered to donate 30,000 hectares through its company. However, it says, those promises have not been turned into concrete titles for most families, and tensions in the community continue over the right to the land.

Source: Read the original report (translated from Spanish)