PANDO, APOSTOLIC VICARIATE of. - Situated in the northern part of Bolivia, it was erected on 29 Apr. 1942 from territory detached from the apostolic vicariate of Beni (v.), now Cuevo. It consists almost entirely of the former north-western region of Colonias, whose capital was Cabija.
It is a very underdeveloped area. The indigenous people live grouped in small villages made up of huts devoid of any furnishings. Their standard of living is very poor, owing not to the unproductiveness of the land but to the indolence and inactivity of the inhabitants, who spend most of the day dancing and becoming intoxicated with a special beverage called “chicha,” obtained by the fermentation of wild fruits. The principal tribes are the Araonas, Cavinas, Pacaguaras, Chimanos, Oromonas, and Mocetenes, each of which has its own language. Some hold that they are indigenous peoples, while others believe them to be of Asian origin, having reached Bolivia by way of the Bering Strait and Polynesia. The climate is unhealthy.
The vicariate has an area of 100,000 sq. km., with a population of approximately 50,000 inhabitants, of whom 48,000 are Catholics and the remainder pagans. Spiritual care is entrusted to the Maryknoll missionaries (USA), who, according to the statistics of 1951, number 15, with 3 brothers and 20 sisters (Maryknoll Sisters). There are 5 elementary schools and 1 secondary school; 1 hospital, 1 nursery school, 1 orphanage, and 1 home for the elderly.