In a bilateral meeting between leaders of the state governments of Rio
Grande do Sul (Brazil) and Misiones (Argentina), a commitment to return
to the path that links 30 historical Jesuit missionary centers of the
region was signed in order to transform them in one tourist corridor of
its kind worldwide.Victor Hugo Álvez, Minister of Culture and Tourism of Rio Grande do Sul, said that "for us there are many common interests, and the challenge is to work together in the corridor of the 'Ruta Jesuitica': Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. We will ask the Brazilian government to invest in that corridor of missions. The history and the unique architectural heritage of the experience developed in this area of South America are now saved and enhanced with this initiative".
"The integration of our peoples is above everything", said Marcos Gabriel, secretary of the governorate of Itapúa (Paraguay), noting that "we have a common root, which are the Guarani and the Jesuits", hence the importance of supporting a project to enhance and create a single brand that concerns the ways of the Jesuits of America.
The note recalls that the famous "Reducciones" are considered an exciting moment of missionary zeal which generated almost 160 years (1609-1769) of fruitful evangelization among the Guarani.
In all, there are 30 Guarani reductions, disseminated between the Parana and Uruguay rivers, a vast territory that includes the regions that today are part of Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia and Uruguay, and which comprise a total of about 100 million inhabitants.