Margarita Mbywangi, a chief of the Ache Tribe, has been named minister of indigenous affairs in Paraguay.

When she was four years old, Mbywangi said she was sold into forced labor by several land-owning families. She was sent to school and eventually reconnected with her people.

Mbywangi, a mother of three, said she will work to improve living conditions in Indian communities and promote Indian land rights. She is the first Indian person to serve as minister of indigenous affairs.

Get the Story:
Paraguayan Indian named minister (BBC 8/19)
Paraguay: Former slave gets cabinet position (The Guardian 8/19)