Fifty years after the construction of the Itaipu hydroelectric dam on the Paraguay-Brazil border, the Avá-Guarani people continue to fight for justice. The dam, one of the largest in the world, submerged their ancestral lands and displaced hundreds of families. Teodoro Alves, an Indigenous leader, recalls the Paraná River before the dam: 'The river died completely. It died with the Avá-Guarani people.'
The Avá-Guarani lived in 'tekoha'—territories of life encompassing housing, farming, spirituality, and collective practices. Forced displacement in the 1970s, under the military governments of both countries, shattered this harmony. Pedro Alves, Teodoro's older brother, says most families fled: 'Only four or five stayed. That's why Itaipu says it found few families there.'
In 2025, a Brazilian court agreement secured partial reparations, including 3,000 hectares of land and a public apology. However, Indigenous leaders say these measures fall short of true territorial recognition. In Paraguay, affected communities have received little or no compensation, as authorities deny their ancestral claims.
The Sete Quedas waterfalls, sacred to the Guarani, disappeared underwater when the dam flooded vast areas. Historian Clóvis Brighenti notes that the Guarani today number about 280,000 people, mainly in Brazil and Paraguay. The struggle for recognition continues, with the Guarani Truth Commission documenting violations since 2015.
