First Period - until 1767
Very little is known about the initial periods of the long
history of the inhabitants of San Jose del Boqueron. It starts in 1735 when the
missionary Jose Teodoro Bravo joins together a group of Vilela Indians in a
mission that, re-established in 1751, receives the name of San Jose de Vilelas.
The location, however, proves inconvenient and the next year the Jesuit
missionary Bernardo Castro asks the authorities for the authorization to move
the mission to the more suitable one. In 1758 the committee of Santiago del
Estero gives the necessary permission. The newly selected territory shows the
best conditions: good climate, fertile soil, numerous rivers and streams
abundant in water. Immediately after the transportation in 1762, the new
settlement is established under the name of San Jose de Petacas. It’s well-being
lasts but a short period of time. Five years later, Charles III orders the
immediate expelling of the Jesuits from all the Spanish lands for “reasons….
which I reserve to my Regal soul”. The two missioners de San Jose de Petacas –
Bernardo Castro and Francisco Almiron – are detained and deported. The village,
as well as the others formed by Jesuits starts to fall apart until it disappears
completely and it’s inhabitants are scattered. {Today, only some wood beams
showing between the weeds can be seen}.
In between period – from 1767 till 1975
The region and its inhabitants stay forgotten by the authorities
since. It is recognized for the sole reason of forestry with catastrophic
results. In the XX century one wood production company starts the intense
exploitation of the forests, not caring for the reforestation, consequences of
which act are disastrous. The eliminating of the trees brings the change of
climate. The rains are drastically reduced causing severe draughts followed by
the disappearance of the water sources except for the river Salado. The land
without humidity, unprotected by any kind of forest suffers from wind erosions
and ends up covered by the layer of dust. Even the underground supplies of water
disappear; to reach them, it is necessary to drill to the depths of 90 to 250
metres. At the same time, the temperatures become extreme: very hot summers – up
to 50 degrees Centigrade – and short but very cold winters.
The complete absence of working possibilities adds to the
problems with climate. Whole families leave for the provinces of Chaco, Tucuman
and Salta at the time of harvests. No permanent work is to be found for the rest
of the year, save for some occasional occupation consisting of cutting the trees
or burning wood to make carbon.
The indifference of the successive governments completes the
task. With the exception of the one provincial route, which is no more than a
dusty trail, no roads exist. There is no electricity, phone or gas. No
possibility to receive periodicals or magazines and except for a few battery
charged radio receivers, the television and radio do not exist. It is impossible
to receive news or to transport seriously ill persons that need medical
attention. The inhabitants live in solitude, with kilometres of distance
separating their houses, deprived of any kind of daily contact or help with any
of their needs.
The lack of property is one of the aspects of the complete
poorness of the area. Nobody owns the land on which his house stands, nor the
field on which he tries to cultivate the little he can. The lands on which they
and their ancestors have lived since long ago belong to the State or have no
particular owner. The law grants the possession of land when occupied by the
person for twenty years, but the burocracy prevents the recognition of their
right to the legal ownership of their land.
Living conditions and health are closely connected. Their houses,
dwellings made of clay with straw roofs, have no door and only holes without
glass serving as windows. The whole family lives, cooks and sleeps in one room.
86 percent of the population suffers from “Chagas”; the disease transmitted by “vinchuca”,
an insect that dwells in the material of the walls and the roof. The symptoms of
the disease that affects the heart in an irreversible manner start to show up
within a few years. The infected person dies suddenly or remains practically
disabled, unable of any physical activity.
The governments failed to support the health sector. Medical
herbs and healers are the only solution for all types of diseases. Preventive
health care, vaccination, hygiene or the extermination of vinchuca remains
unknown. In case of a mortal disease, the patient has to but wait for death.
The school education plays a rather insignificant role in the
daily life of the local population. In 1975, when the second period of the
mission starts, there are no more than 12 schools in the approximate area of 14
000 square km, which means one school for every 1.166 square km. The children
have to pass many km on foot to get to school and afterwards return home without
having eaten. As a result, the school attendance is scarce. The children and
their parents fail to recognize any advantages of education. In their isolated
living conditions they cannot find any practical use for reading, writing and
other skills. The situation is made worse by the fact that in time of harvests,
the whole families leave to work in other provinces. Moreover, the provided
education is only of the primary level and suffers from insufficient number of
teachers, who are often unqualified, or lack of teaching material.
The new mission – from 1975
In 1975 the bishop of Anatuya, Jorge Gottau asks the Jesuits to
take charge of the region. The Company of Jesus gives its consent rapidly and on
Easter of the same year, the fathers Juan Carlos Constable and Agustin Lopez
arrive at San Jose del Boqueron. The task they are facing is enormous as well as
the abandonment of the area they have in front of themselves. They start to work
immediately. During the first year, they sleep in a hole, dug up in the ground.
There have more urgent things to do than build a house for themselves.
