Statement at the Conclusion of the First Continental Gathering on “Spiritualities and Political Theology from Abya Yala.” (Over 400 participants, including women, men, and children.)
Mazatenango, Suchitepéquez, Guatemala November 10, 2025
Gathered in Mazatenango, Guatemala, from November 7–9, 2025, representatives of faith communities, social movements, grassroots organizations, farmers, educators, academics, and theologians from across Abya Yala convened to share experiences and deepen our common search for meaning. This First Encounter of Spiritualities and Political Theology From Abya Yala* arose as a space of attentive listening and collective discernment, inviting us to reimagine faith, justice, and hope in light of our continental realities and the ancestral wisdom of the original peoples of Abya Yala.
Over the course of three days of dialogue, a shared conviction emerged: our spiritualities, born in Abya Yala, cannot be separated from history, from our bodies, or from our motherland. They are embodied spiritualities, expressed in the daily struggles of our peoples, in the memory of those who gave their lives for justice, and in the care for life in all its forms. Confronted with the open wounds of colonialism, patriarchy, racism, and the new manifestations of global capitalism, we affirm the urgent need for a theology conceived and lived within communities—one that is political, liberating, and decolonial.
We understand that our spiritualities as christians and followers of Jesus of Nazareth is characterized by a commitment to the life and dignity of the oppressed, distinguishing it from the power dynamics that, throughout history, have shaped Christianity as a system of domination. In this sense, we affirm that Christian Native spiritualities cannot be separated from transformative action or from the horizon of the Kingdom of God, understood as justice, equity, and universal solidarity.
During this first encounter, the conviction emerged strongly that Abya Yala theology is ancestral, comunal and political theology and must begin with feeling, caring, and repairing. These three dimensions express a profoundly human and spiritual methodology. Feeling involves allowing oneself to be affected by the suffering and hope of people; caring implies assuming mutual responsibility among human beings and with creation; repairing, finally, refers to transformative action that seeks to restore dignity and build new conditions for life.
Furthermore, the importance of critically engaging with digital spaces was emphasized, recognizing that networks can be both sites of domination and territories of encounter and resistance. From the perspective of political theology, there is an urgent need to construct narratives that promote discernment, solidarity, and communion in a world fragmented by disinformation and indifference.
These shared reflections also led us to recognize the value of ancestral memories as a source of wisdom for political action. Our ancestral identity is a symbol of spirituality and cultural heritage for the peoples of Abya Yala: a memory that resists oblivion, teaches us to walk with humility, and inspires us to build community in the face of adversity.
In this context, we express our appreciation for the support of CODECA, PUBLICA, ÑAWI, and the delegations from various countries who, through their commitment to human rights, land and territories, and the dignity of peoples, embody the Gospel as a life-giving force in the face of fascism, racism, impoverishment, supremacies, and the many forms of exclusion and genocide committed in Abya Yala. Their decolonial actions stand as a living testament to a spirituality that takes shape and becomes resistance.
These days together leaves us with the conviction that reflecting on spiritualities is not an isolated theoretical exercise but an urgent necessity for sustaining and guiding the political struggles of our peoples. A political theology without spirituality risks becoming meaningless, and a spirituality without political commitment becomes sterile in the face of the world’s suffering. Both dimensions must be intertwined so that faith becomes transformative praxis.
From Abya Yala, we invite faith communities, ecclesial and academic institutions, and social movements to continue forging common paths. We call for a spirituality rooted in decolonial history, one that looks with compassion and acts courageously in the face of injustice.
We firmly believe that without spiritual practices there can be no lasting political transformation, and that without justice there can be no true spirituality. With this conviction, we reaffirm our commitment to life and to building a future of peace, equity, and dignity for all in our motherland.
With hope and determination,
We, the participants of the First Gathering on Spiritualities and Political Theology in Abya Yala.
*Abya Yala in the Guna language means “land in full maturity and land of vital blood.” In the 1970s, activists, historians, politicians, and theologians with a strong sense of ancestral identity adopted the term Abya Yala as a unified name for the continent, instead of referring to it as Latin America, The Americas among other names that perpetuate colonial divisions (Delgado & Ramírez, 2022).
PUBLICA 