The constitution gives individuals the right to choose, change, and freely practice their religion, and prohibits religious discrimination. It specifically recognizes the right of indigenous communities to express their religion freely. The constitution states relations between the state and the Catholic Church are based on “independence, cooperation, and autonomy.” The government requires all religious groups to register with the Vice Ministry of Worship (VMW), a sub-unit within the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC), but there are no sanctions for nonregistration and some religious groups have not registered. One group was reportedly denied a registration request. The constitution guarantees an equal right to religious education. Religious groups expressed concern the government disproportionately supported Catholic schools; the VMW stated the government lacked sufficient funding to pay teachers in all registered, non-Catholic religious schools. Some Protestant groups stated there was government favoritism towards the Catholic Church and voiced concerns that some government offices, activities, and spaces operated in a non-secular manner, including the existence of government offices with Catholic shrines or prayer rooms.
Labor unions and human rights organizations stated Mennonite employers, the predominant source of employment in the remote areas of the Chaco Region, continued to favor indigenous laborers who had converted to the Mennonite faith over those who had not.
U.S. embassy representatives met with the vice minister of culture at the VMW to discuss alleged employment discrimination based on religious preference, official support to the Catholic Church, a pending antidiscrimination bill, and a new provision which would allow the government to sanction churches that abuse religious freedom. Embassy officials met with representatives of the Catholic, evangelical Protestant, Jewish, and Buddhist communities to discuss interfaith respect and dialogue and to hear their views on religious freedom.