Aug 16, 2025 08:00:00

Devices that recite Bible verses in local languages have been secretly distributed to indigenous Amazonian reserves

It has been revealed that special audio playback devices that read passages from the Bible are being given to indigenous people who are protected by the Brazilian government and forbidden from any unintended contact.

Missionaries using secret audio devices to evangelize Brazil's isolated peoples | Amazon rainforest | The Guardian

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2025/jul/27/missionaries-using-secret-audio-devices-to-evangelise-brazils-isolated-peoples

A joint investigation by the British newspaper The Guardian and the Brazilian newspaper O Globo has found that the Corvo people, an indigenous people living near the border between Brazil and Peru, are using solar-powered devices that recite Bible verses in Portuguese and Spanish.

The first device discovered was a smartphone-sized device that could continue to play without a power source thanks to a solar panel. Investigations have reported the existence of up to seven such devices.

The Brazilian government does not allow missionary work in the Corvo region. A 1987 national policy respects the right to self-determination, stating that indigenous people must decide for themselves whether to have contact with others. Access is also strictly controlled to prevent the inadvertent spread of disease.

This is not believed to be the first attempt at evangelizing indigenous people. Just before the COVID-19 pandemic, a group of Americans and Brazilians from evangelical churches were reportedly planning to contact the Corbo people. The planners were three missionaries, allegedly associated with two humanitarian organizations known as Missão Novas Tribos do Brasil (Brazilian New Tribes Mission) and Asas de Socorro (Wings of Salvation). The three had been barred by court order from entering indigenous territory during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The device handed over to the Corvo tribe was called a '

Messenger ' by In Touch Ministries, an evangelism foundation. Seth Gray, In Touch Ministries' chief operating officer, said the organization is not involved in evangelism among indigenous peoples and that the Messenger should not be present in the jungle, violating Brazilian policy.

Sergeant Cardovão da Silva Soeiro, in charge of indigenous areas, said he was told about the messengers by indigenous people stationed at the base, adding that there are 'missionaries who are allegedly associated with Jehovah's Witnesses.'

In addition to these audio playback devices, there have also been reports of drones. It is unclear whether they belong to missionaries or other actors, such as drug traffickers or fishermen, and Sergeant Cardovan and his men have been ordered to shoot down any drones.

'This is stealth, under-the-radar proselytizing,' said Daniel Luis D'Alberto, an agent with the federal prosecutor's office that oversees indigenous rights, adding that such clandestine proselytizing has become increasingly sophisticated and nearly impossible to counter.