The Mennonite Exodus: Bolivia's Mennonite Colony Disappearance

In 2009, eight men from the Mennonite colony in Manitoba, Bolivia, were accused of raping and sexually assaulting over 100 women and girls. The men were convicted in 2011 and sentenced to prison. The case brought attention to the conservative religious community and its rejection of modern conveniences and amenities. The colony's response to the assaults and the impact on the women and girls who were victimized is the subject of the book and film Women Talking.

The 2009 rapes of over 100 women and girls

In 2009, eight men from the Mennonite colony in Bolivia were convicted of raping and sexually assaulting over 100 women and girls in the community. The men, who were members of the Manitoba Colony, an insular Mennonite community in Bolivia, had been brought to the local police station by members of their own community. The trial, which took place in 2011, brought to light disturbing details about the crimes. The men had used a cow anaesthetic, turning it into a spray that sedated their victims. They would spray it into bedroom windows at night before climbing through to rape the women. In the morning, the survivors would wake up with little to no memory of what had happened, often with bruises on their bodies and bloodstained sheets.

The impact of these crimes on the community was profound. Many survivors were refused counselling and were told to forgive their attackers or face eternal damnation. The colony's bishop rejected outside help, claiming that the survivors did not need counselling since they were unconscious during the assaults. The patriarchal and conservative nature of the community further complicated the situation, with a strong emphasis on preserving their traditions and isolation from the outside world.

The trial and its aftermath highlighted the complexities of addressing sexual violence within the Mennonite colony. The men who were convicted continued to deny the rapes, and there were efforts by some community members to have them released from prison. Additionally, there were concerns about the accuracy of the convictions, with some questioning the use of the narcotic spray and the validity of the confessions. However, the prosecutor, Fredy Perez, maintained that the confessions were written in the men's own language and coincided with the results of forensic examinations.

The rapes in the Mennonite colony in Bolivia brought to light the intersection of religious beliefs, cultural traditions, and criminal justice. The community's response to the crimes revealed a deep-rooted resistance to change and outside influence, which had implications for how the survivors were treated and the perpetrators were held accountable.

The 2011 trial and conviction of eight men

In 2011, eight men from the Mennonite colony in Bolivia were put on trial for the rape and sexual assault of over 100 women and girls. The trial brought to light the horrific details of the crimes committed by the men. They had turned a cow anaesthetic into a spray that sedated their victims, rendering them unconscious and unable to fight back. The survivors woke up with bruises and bloodstained sheets, with little to no memory of what had occurred.

The accused men were from an isolated off-the-grid colony named Manitoba. They were brought to the local police station by members of their own community, who had caught and detained one of the perpetrators in the act of breaking into a home. This young man then implicated eight others, seven from Manitoba and one from outside the colony. Before being handed over to the Bolivian police, the men confessed and provided detailed accounts of their attacks.

The trial revealed that the men had broken into homes and sprayed the anaesthetic through bedroom windows before assaulting the women and girls inside. The use of the drug explained why many of the survivors had hazy recollections of the attacks and woke up with headaches and a sense of incapacitation. Some women recalled finding bloody rags that didn't belong to them and trying to scream but being unable to make a sound.

The trial also exposed the sexist and reclusive nature of Mennonite culture, which made it difficult for the women to speak out and seek help. They feared being ostracised and blamed for the crimes committed against them. Additionally, most Mennonite women and girls do not speak Spanish, further isolating them from the outside world and making it challenging to seek justice.

In August 2011, seven of the eight men were sentenced to 25 years in prison for rape. The remaining man, who supplied the anaesthetic drug, was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Despite the convictions, there are still doubts about the case within the Mennonite community, with some claiming that the men were unpopular and used as fall guys to cover up a wider culture of familial sexual abuse. However, the prosecutor and judge involved in the case stand by the outcome, stating that justice was served.

The Mennonite community's response

In the immediate aftermath of the revelations, some women from the colony began to speak out about their experiences. They were offered psychological support by Mennonite missionaries, but this was rejected by the Bishop of Manitoba, who infamously claimed that the survivors did not need counselling as they "weren't even awake when it happened". This attitude was not universal, however, and one family in the colony graciously hosted a reporter and her brother, a photojournalist and videographer, in 2013 so that they could report on the story and give voice to the women affected.

The accused men were tried and convicted in 2011, with seven sentenced to 25 years in prison for rape, and one receiving a 12-year sentence for supplying the drug used to sedate the victims. In the years since, leaders of the Manitoba colony have lobbied for the release of the men, arguing that they have served long enough and should be forgiven. This has caused tension within the community, with some survivors and their families feeling threatened by the prospect of the men's return.

The response to the scandal has also been impacted by the conservative and insular nature of the Mennonite community in Bolivia. The language barrier, with most women and girls speaking only Low German, and the lack of contact with the outside world, made it difficult for the survivors to seek help or even to understand what had happened to them. The community's sexist and patriarchal culture also played a role, with shame and stigma preventing some women from coming forward. Additionally, the belief in forgiveness as a central tenet of Mennonite religious faith has created a conflict for some members of the community, who struggle to reconcile their faith with the seriousness of the crimes committed.

The inspiration for the film 'Women Talking'

The 2023 film 'Women Talking' was inspired by the 2009 rape and sexual assault of over 100 women and girls in the Mennonite community of Manitoba Colony in Bolivia. The men responsible were from the community and used a cow anaesthetic to sedate their victims.

The women and girls of the colony were reluctant to speak out about the assaults. They felt ashamed, and their religious beliefs prevented them from seeking help. Eventually, some women did come forward, and eight men were convicted of the crimes and sentenced to prison.

The film 'Women Talking' is based on the 2018 book of the same name by Miriam Toews. Toews was raised in a Mennonite town in Canada and left the ultraconservative religious colony when she turned 18. The novel is a work of fiction, but it is inspired by the true events that took place in Manitoba Colony.

The film adaptation of 'Women Talking' was directed by Sarah Polley and stars Rooney Mara, Claire Foy, and Frances McDormand. It was nominated for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2023 Oscars.

The encroachment of indigenous land

The expansion of Mennonite colonies in Bolivia has resulted in the encroachment of indigenous land, particularly in the department of Santa Cruz. This region holds over two-thirds of Bolivia's cultivated land and is characterised by large-scale industrial agriculture. As Mennonite colonies continue to expand, their massive crop fields are putting pressure on Santa Cruz's Indigenous Territories and other protected areas.

The Mennonite colony of Chihuahua, founded in 1989, is located 132 kilometres from the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. The colony's soy fields stretch for miles and, according to Indigenous residents, encroach on contested land near the Indigenous community of San Miguelito. Large-scale deforestation in the area is threatening two of the region's formally recognised Indigenous territories: Zapocó and Lomerío. Satellite data shows that agricultural expansion and road development are gobbling up forest areas along the borders of these territories, with clearing operations spreading into Lomerío in 2022.

María Choré, president of the Autonomous Consultative Council of the Indigenous Territory of the Monkoxi de Lomerío Nation, has called for authorities to take swift action to stop the clearing of protected forest for agriculture and other industries. She stated that agribusiness is dividing and destroying several communities and affecting their territory.

Gonzalo Colque, a researcher for Fundación Tierra, an organisation focused on sustainable rural development and assistance for Indigenous and small-scale farming populations in Bolivia, stated that there are currently over 100 Mennonite colonies in Bolivia, with almost all of them dedicated to soybean production. He added that some of these colonies have transformed into agribusinesses and have purchased tracts of property on public land.

The growing presence of Mennonite communities in Bolivia has divided the country. On one side are business owners, local governments, and communities that view Mennonite exports as beneficial to the economy. On the other side are small-scale farming unions, Indigenous alliances, and environmental organisations that accuse Mennonite communities of encroaching on land belonging to Indigenous and small farmers, as well as causing deforestation and habitat damage.

Eulogio Núñez, the former director of the Center for Investigation and Promotion of Campesinos (CIPCA), an advocacy organisation for traditional and small-scale farmers in Bolivia, stated in 2020 that the majority of the high religious hierarchy of the Mennonite colonies is an important part of the land trafficking chain in eastern Bolivia. He claimed that a large portion of the property owned by the Mennonites was illegally acquired. Although Núñez now chooses his words more carefully when referring to Bolivia's Mennonite communities, he remains concerned about the expansion of their agricultural holdings and has referred to them as "invaders" in relation to their encroachment on public lands.

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