In issue No. 1 of 2026 of CLAR Magazine, dedicated to “the new faces of poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean”, indigenous theologian Mónica Benavides offers a profound reflection on the reality of indigenous peoples and the multiple forms of impoverishment they face on the continent.
The article proposes a broad and critical understanding of poverty that goes beyond economic deprivation. For indigenous peoples, poverty manifests as a rupture of bonds: with the land, with the community, and with identity. It is a historical wound marked by colonization, structural racism, and the imposition of extractivist economic models that continue to strip peoples of their lands, knowledge, and ways of life.
From this perspective, the text invites us to recognize Abya Yala as a living, diverse, and deeply spiritual territory, where ancestral memories, community practices, and ways of inhabiting the world persist in resistance to cultural homogenization. However, this richness coexists with dynamics of exclusion that have led many peoples to marginalization, forced migration, and the loss of their languages and traditions.
This reflection engages with the ecclesial horizon proposed by *Querida Amazonía*, which recognizes the cultural richness of indigenous peoples as a multifaceted entity and denounces the structures that seek to standardize and dominate diversity.
One of the central themes of the article is the denunciation of systemic racism and the criminalization of indigenous leaders who defend their territories against extractive projects. This violence is not only physical but also legal, media-driven, and cultural, reproducing colonial logics that deny the autonomy of these peoples.
In this context, territory emerges as the core of life. It is not merely a physical space but the place where memory, spirituality, the economy, and community organization intertwine. Its defense is, therefore, a comprehensive defense of life.
Faced with these realities, Indigenous peoples not only resist but also propose concrete alternatives that challenge the dominant model. Among these, the following stand out:
- Communal and eco-solidarity economies, based on reciprocity, care, and the common good.
- Holistic health, which integrates ancestral knowledge and recognizes the relationship between body and territory.
- Contextual education, which arises from the territory, strengthens identity, and promotes critical awareness.
- Popular communication, which “circulates the word” to preserve memory and construct their own narratives.
- Art and culture, as a living expression of resistance, healing, and the reconstruction of the social fabric.
These proposals shape an alternative vision that places life, dignity, and the interdependence between human beings and nature at the center.
The article concludes with a clear call to action: overcoming poverty among Indigenous peoples requires a new social pact based on justice, historical memory, and deep respect for cultural and spiritual diversity.
From the Amazon and the territories of Abya Yala, this call challenges the Church and society as a whole: to listen to the voices of the peoples, recognize their rights, and walk alongside them in building a future where life in all its forms is cared for and defended.