Routes of Iberá

Following the Footsteps of the Guarani

Visiting the Jesuit ruins in southern Misiones one may wonder what has become of all those people who once lived in these reductions. Where did they go? We know that the priests returned to Europe, but what about the Guarani Indians?

The history of its inhabitants from 1768, and even a little earlier when the boundary was disputed between Spain and Portugal in 1750, is quite tragic. Jesuit priests were replaced by priests from other congregations to address spiritual issues radically transforming the old organization. They misunderstood the Guaraní’s community, customs, language, territories and spirituality and tried to incorporate them into a private property regime, a secular and individualistic administrative governance; this collided abruptly with the 100 years of "Jesuit understanding”. The people’s response was to flee, the almost 100,000 natives who had survived the “Artiguista” wars (Locally commanded by Andresito Guacurari) gradually spread into new territories (Corrientes, Entre Rios, Rio Grande do Sul and northern Uruguay).

There were several attempts by the Guarani to maintain their social, religious and administrative structure by migrating to new sites of the old territory of the missions, but they were exterminated or forced to flee again. Many of the survivors were recruited at the farms of the “Criollos”, others joined with the outlaw gauchos that were dying at the hands of the police, a few became “mariscadores” and many others joined the domestic work in Buenos Aires and other cities. Only two towns managed to survive into the nineteenth century, supported by governor Ferré: Loreto and San Miguel. They arose from a migration of more than 1,700 people from Santa Ana and Corpus who were looking to settle on northern Iberá under the protection of the images of saints.

To wonder around these towns and their neighboring areas is to look into that past and to feel that it is still alive in the direct stare of the dressed images of the patron saints. Also in the ancient missionary cedars who grace the driveways, protecting its inhabitants. The hospitable inhabitants of these areas are eager to show their work in the orchards, in the looms and tasks leading up to the festivities to anyone close to their houses. The visit can be done on foot, horseback or by car from the small inns of San Miguel and Loreto.