Displaying items by tag: South America

Brazil, Colombia, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela have colossal crime rates which undermine growth, threaten human welfare, and impede social development, according to the UN and World Bank. The region registers 40% of the world’s murders despite having only 9% of the global population. One in four Latin Americans was assaulted and robbed in 2018. Wealthy Brazilians have to provide their own security. Pray for the church and the police to bring security and peace to Brazil’s vulnerable population. Massive street marches in Argentina, Mexico, and Brazil protesting against violence have made it difficult for politicians to avoid dealing with the issue and, in many countries, tackling crime is a central theme in political party platforms across the region. Pray for God to raise up strong, wise men and women with God’s anointing to lead the countries back to His purposes.

The 1988 Brazilian constitution recognises indigenous peoples' right to pursue traditional ways of life and the permanent, exclusive possession of their ‘traditional lands’, demarcated as Indigenous Territories. When Jair Bolsonaro became president on 1 January, he vowed that not another centimetre of indigenous land would be protected under his leadership, and he would forcibly ‘integrate’ them, adding it was ‘a shame that the Brazilian cavalry wasn’t as efficient as the Americans, who exterminated the Indians’. Indigenous peoples are fearful. His administration has launched an unprecedented attack on them, with the explicit aim of destroying their way of life and plundering their land. On 28 June 2,000+ people occupied the capital holding banners and arrows, marching to the ministry of health and the ministry of justice. Pray for the restoration of healthcare access to indigenous people; and that they will have more land rights and access to public services. See

Missionary Wayne Goddard was killed in Paraguay last week. He was a faithful man of God and died after being assaulted by armed men in the village where he was serving the Ava Guaraní and Paī Tavyterã peoples. Since 1994 he had served with Misión a Nuevas Tribus en el Paraguay, telling people about Jesus. As news of his death reached the world, it is his family's desire to recognise the sacrifice he made as he followed our Lord in willing service. Meanwhile in Peru police are investigating another murder after the body of a British missionary, Paul McAuley, was found at the hostel he ran for indigenous students in Iquitos. Born in Portsmouth, the 71-year-old was an environmental activist and a lay brother of the Catholic De La Salle Brothers teaching order. He was awarded the MBE for his work.

Intercessors for Bolivia - “En la brecha por tuNacion” "In the gap for your Nation"

After Uprising Bolivia (Nov 29 – Dec 2, 2017) we have witnessed a spiritual revolution and a tsunami of convocations for fasting, praying and spiritual warfare training nationwide.  In order to maximize this amazing momentum and pray to God for a National Strategic Prayer Plan, we called the leaders from the different prayer networks that have attended these convocations and trainings during this year for a national unified gathering : "En la Brecha por tuNación / In the gap for your Nation", the summit took place in the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia from November 8 to 10, 2018 .

This convocation gathered 230 prayer leaders from 28 different congregations and denominations  representing six cities : Cochabamba, La Paz, Sucre, Oruro, Tarija and Quillacollo . We also had a delegation of 5 leaders from Calama, Chile.

After a time of waiting on God’s presence, and praying over the words that God spoke to many during this year and during the meeting a Prayer Plan for Bolivia  was structured, believing that God will help the nation to enter in a new time of changes in all sectors of society.

Prayer strategies and Action plan:

• Continue with the 24/7 prayer covering in the 9 departments of Bolivia
• Prayer Vigils focused on the Unity of the Body of Christ
• Fasting and Prayer Journeys in the 9 departments of Bolivia
• National Altars of Worship and Intercession nationwide
• Training more people to become involved as intercessors of the nation.
• Identification of prayer efforts of distinct institutions to unite common points and bring solutions to Bolivia problems
• Simultaneous Intercession in some strategic points in several cities of Bolivia.
• Continue with the training of spiritual warfare and mapping of strongholds in the seven mountains of the Nation.
• Bolivia - Plan for Identificational Repentance and Forgiveness
• Prayer Guide indigenousgroups :Aymaras& Quechuas
• Cooperate with the UPRISING Latin American movement

Prayer points:

• Unity of the Body of Christ in Bolivia
• Uprising of a Kingdom Army of prophetic warriors, intercessors,worshipers , missionaries in Bolivia
• Pray for a spiritual and comprehensive reformation movement in Bolivia that includes the transformation of social, political, and economic spheres.
• Pray for understanding of the church and national leaders about the destiny of the nation.
• Pray for the reduction of the statistical indices of: violence, poverty, malnutrition, Illiteracy, infant mortality, demographic situation, fiscal and tributary problems, unemployment, social marginalization
• Pray for an increase of the statistical indices of: housing, education, labor, social welfare, infrastructure, communications
• Pray that Bolivia will experience and atmosphere of peace, security, political, social and religious freedom and prosperity.
• Pray that God releases a spirit of reconciliation, adoption, repentance, confession, and restitution among the Bolivians .
• Pray for the healing of the land.
• Pray that Bolivia will be part of the GO2020 initiative.
• Pray to reverse governmental laws supported by anthropologists, leftist politicians, Catholic priests that prohibit outreach of indigenous tribes: Aymaras& Quechuas.
• Pray for "Transformation of the Holy Spirit" in the 7 areas of Bolivian culture: government, family, education, church, arts and entertainment, economy, and the media.

Judith Yanira González
International Prayer Council
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71% of Venezuelans identify themselves as Catholic, and the Church runs numerous charities plus 170 schools for poor children. The country faces 50% hyperinflation, food shortages, black market influences on prices, and failing health systems, with medicine and equipment increasingly not available. Widespread crime is forcing churches to remain locked. There will be a snap election on 20 May, and in the streets there are ongoing protests against a coalition regime they do not trust. Tensions have grown between President Maduro and local bishops. The president has asked them to leave politics out of the pulpit, calling political comments ‘disrespectful’. Not a single thing can be done easily in Venezuela: paying bills, buying food, commuting, visiting loved ones, finding decent-quality women’s hygiene products. In times of crisis like these, religion plays a comforting role for many. See also

During an altar of public worship last year about 1,200 Bolivians interceded for spiritual change in the nation. On 21 February a local Christian wrote, ‘Across our beloved Bolivia women, men and children took to the streets today, defending our faith and democracy. A majority of the population voted NO to the re-election of Evo Morales who is attempting to become president indefinitely by bribery, propaganda, brute force and using the resources of Bolivia to do so. The church and people of Bolivia continue to say NO to his leftist regime. We say YES to Jesus! Bolivia will NOT be Venezuela, or follow the path of Cuba. Please pray that all violence, revenge, lies, deaths, injustices in every political and social sphere, covenants to the occult, and pacts with nations that misuse our resources to their benefit, but to our economic detriment, are all uncovered.’

Pope Francis is sending the Vatican's top expert on sexual abuse to Chile to investigate accusations that a bishop covered up for an abusive priest. The Pope met the priest's victims on a recent visit, but then affirmed his belief that Bishop Juan Barros was innocent, and accused people of slandering him. He later apologised for the comments. Critics have insisted the choice to ordain the bishop should be reviewed, and asked for further action. Investigator Archbishop Charles Scicluna will visit Chile and ‘listen to those who want to submit information in their possession’.

Six months ago, 93% of Venezuelans said their income was not sufficient to buy the food they need. 75% reported suffering weight loss, averaging 9 kg. The price of food is fifteen times the minimum wage, and prices continue to rise. The director of a Caracas-based health and nutrition charity said, ‘Malnutrition in Venezuela is a problem of corruption, not a lack of money’. Government price controls and other policies have crippled domestic production, and after the oil price drop caused imports to decrease dramatically, insufficient food is available for the over 30m Venezuelans. Meanwhile President Maduro’s efforts to consolidate power amid a deepening economic and humanitarian crisis have drawn widespread international condemnation. There are severe food and medicine shortages, soaring crime rates, and an increasingly authoritarian executive. 70% of the population is Roman Catholic and 29% percent Protestant. See

Cultivation of coca, the base ingredient for cocaine, is booming in Colombia. The government tries to slash production by employing hundreds of people and police officers to destroy crops, but armed gangs and drug traffickers oppose them. People have died in recent clashes over coca; others have been injured by landmines laid to scare people away from destroying coca plants. The minister of foreign affairs blamed coca growth on the scheming of drug-trafficking gangs and peasants planting more coca to take advantage of the new substitution initiatives under the peace accords. However, the government should be offering peasant farmers better incentives to grow alternative crops. After 200 years of reforms and many billions of pesos invested, the same inequality in agriculture persists. There is a lack of political will on the part of the state to make the peasant farmers’ economy viable. See

Oxfam research shows that Brazilians earning the minimum wage would have to work for nineteen years to make as much as a rich person in Brazil’s top 0.1% makes in one month. At the current pace it would take Brazil 75 years to reach the UK’s current level of income equality. Oxfam had already reported that just six Brazilians own as much money as the poorest half of the country. ‘This is an unjust, unacceptable, and unsustainable situation,’ said Oxfam Brazil’s executive director. ‘We cannot dance around this any more; tackling inequality head-on is everyone’s responsibility. This report is our way of kick-starting this conversation.’ Experts say Brazil’s current situation is due to a backsliding tax system; racial and gender discrimination that erodes the rights of women and black Brazilians; a political system that concentrates power; and politicians highly prone to corruption.