Políticas públicas interculturales en Paraguay. Impacto en prácticas educativas y propuestas de mejora

Abstract

This research analyzes the meaning and application of interculturality in public educational policies in Paraguay, with the aim of understanding its actual scope and identifying proposals for improvement. The study starts from the recognition that, although interculturality has been formally incorporated into normative discourse and institutional programs, its practical implementation remains limited and, in many cases, is confined to an exclusive and functional approach linked exclusively to indigenous and rural contexts. From a critical perspective, the research adopts an ethnographic approach to policy analysis, articulating theoretical frameworks such as empirical constitutionalism, critical pedagogy, and decolonial studies. The qualitative methodology includes fieldwork, participant observations, interviews, questionsaires, and documentary analysis. The study is structured around three case studies addressing different phases of the educational policy cycle: the design of the Educational Transformation Strategy of Paraguay 2030 (ex-ante evaluation), the development of the FORMACAP-Aula Pyahu program (in itinere evaluation), and the implementation of Law 3231/07 at the Juan Diego Indigenous School (ex-post evaluation). These cases allow for the identification of tensions among actors, structural inequalities, and the power and influence strategies deployed by stakeholders in the formulation and implementation of decision-making processes. The finding reveal the persistence of a gap between normative discourse and concrete practices, shaped by political, cultural, and social factors. The thesis concludes with a series of proposals aimed at strengthening a critical, democratic, and context-sensitive intercultural education that recognizes epsitemological diversity and contributes to social justice in the country.