Os Menonitas e a fronteira jurídica com o Estado boliviano: o caso de Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Abstract

The present work aims to dialogue about the relation among Menonita groups that have installed themselves in Bolivian terrain, the society and the local government. The Menonita communities are characterized by a life devoted to religion, technology usage abomination and a life away from modern society. Elements of legal pluralism that can be found in the particularities of this region are going to be addressed, as well as elements of conflict that explain the difficulties and complexity States face in building a relation with such particular groups. Therefore, this work is organized to firstly settle and inform the reader what it is about and by how the legal pluralism has emerged and what it can be used for. Then, the main characteristics of a Menonita community and its particularities are introduced, along with data about its relation with Bolivia. Lastly, a case study about the violations occurred to Menonita women in the Manitoba colony, in the Santa Cruz de la Sierra region, is going to be presented. The case reveals aspects of an attempt to maintain respect to the norms of a nation, also the establishment of a dialogue to solve legal conflicts, what takes us to a reflection about the positive and negatives points in the construction of a plural country.