An Indian Hindu guru is facing criminal charges amid a growing controversy in South America. His followers have been quietly acquiring vast stretches of Indigenous land in Bolivia, raising alarms over what appears to be an effort to establish a new nation. The case, now drawing international attention, has been described by observers as a bold attempt by the guru, named Nithyananda, to seize Indigenous land in Bolivia to establish a “new” nation called the “United States of Kailasa,” an unrecognized entity with no legal standing.
Since September 2024, representatives associated with Kailasa have entered into long-term agreements with at least four Indigenous groups in Bolivia. The contracts provide substantial financial compensation in exchange for the use of expansive areas of the Amazon rainforest—some agreements extend up to 1,000 years with automatic renewal clauses.
One deal, signed by a representative of the Baure people, leased 60,000 hectares for $108,000 annually. Another contract with the Cayubaba community gave Kailasa control of 31,000 hectares for $55,800 a year.
The group behind the contracts is led by Nithyananda, the self-proclaimed Hindu “godman” who fled India in 2019 to avoid serious criminal charges, including child abduction and sexual assault. After leaving the country, he announced the creation of Kailasa as a spiritual nation.
Previous failed land deals in other countries
Before turning to Bolivia, Kailasa attempted similar land acquisitions in Ecuador and Paraguay. It also signed a cultural agreement with the U.S. city of Newark, New Jersey, which was later revoked after officials learned the country did not exist.
The situation went largely unnoticed in Bolivia until last month when El Deber, a local newspaper, revealed the details. Journalist Silvana Vicenti, who broke the story, described the contracts as “so irrational that it felt like magical realism.”
🚨 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚:𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳-𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝗴𝗼𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗻'𝘀 𝗳𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝟭,𝟬𝟬𝟬-𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗽𝘀
🇮🇳-🇧🇴… pic.twitter.com/Xl3VHRTnv2
— Resonant News🌍 (@Resonant_News) April 3, 2025
Documents reviewed by The Guardian show Kailasa would gain full control over the leased land, including airspace and natural resources. The agreements also required the Indigenous communities to defend Kailasa in legal matters, promote it as a sovereign state, and support its admission to global organizations such as the UN.
For Vicenti, it seemed like “a monarchy with Indigenous subjects”.
Legal experts say contracts violate Bolivian law
Legal experts say the contracts violate Bolivian law. Jhovana Morales, a lawyer at Fundación Tierra, an organization focused on Indigenous land rights, said the deals were abusive. “The contracts are a total scam,” said Morales. “But the strangest part is that, to this day, no one knows exactly what happened. First, how did they get in? … How did they reach these places and start directly approaching sectors of Indigenous Amazonian territory?”
The Bolivian government has denied any formal relationship with Kailasa. After the story broke, officials released a statement confirming the country does not recognize the group. Then a photo showing President Luis Arce smiling while receiving a book titled “United States of Kailasa” from a woman in a saffron sari began circulating online.
While Arce has not commented, migration director Katherine Calderón clarified that the photo was taken at a public event in October, where the woman asked for a picture—something common during such gatherings.
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