JESUITIC MISSIONS OF THE NEW WORLD STATEMENT

*UNPUPLISHED SERIE

Due to the scarcity of historical records on this subject, especially images, in December 2022, I decided to reconstruct photographically everyday scenes from one of the most successful Jesuit missions in the New World: Chiquitos, Bolivia. The objective of this exercise is to provide a broader understanding of what many scholars consider one of the greatest utopias in history.

To make this reconstruction as faithful as possible, everything was done in consultation with the respective councils of the Indigenous Cabildos in the missions of San Xavier, Santa Ana de Velasco, San José de Chiquitos, San Rafael de Velasco, San Inácio de Moxos, and Concepción. Descendants of the original Indigenous inhabitants were presented as characters, using authentic objects, and all the clothing is identical reproductions of what was used in that era.

The architectural, artistic, and human legacy of the Missions bears witness to a utopia that has both defenders and critics. Recently, Indigenous people have publicly shared their impressions of the colonization process, often with a negative view, and have even demanded a revision of official history.

This historical research aims to provoke reflection on the role of the colonizers in this process, as well as on the situation of the colonized in the present day.