Paraguay

March in Nueva Germania 11-12-08Landless and small farmers, united in the ‘Coordinadora Distrital Sin Tierra de Nueva Germania’ struggle to obtain a stretch of land in the community of Oñondivepá, and prevent it to be deforested and turned into a soy desert. Eight years of struggle now seem to become successful.

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Peasant organisations are resisting against the beginning of the GM soya season all over the country of Paraguay. They demand access to land, land reform and the stop of the pesticide spraying which impacts on their communities. Despite the new government, many camps have been evicted and violence has taken place: 2 leaders have been murdered and hundreds of peasants have been arrested. Please sign the letter below to put pressure on the government and put a stop to violence!

On August 15, 2008, Fernando Lugo was officially and formally inaugurated as president of Paraguay. In his inaugural speech, he clearly positioned himself on the side of the socially weak and excluded. The following day he traveled with the Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez to the inauguration of Jose Ledesma 'Pakova' (Guarani for banana since Jose is a banana grower), a long-standing political ally of Lugo's, as the new governor of San Pedro, a department which has dealt with many land conflicts.

[ESP abajo]
September 20th , Asunción- Paraguay

At the end of August an encampment of landless peasants in the neighbourhood of Ka´iho (district of Yhu in Paraguayan province Caaguazu) was evicted, on the orders of the district attorney for environment, Alejandrino Rodríguez. During this operation 7 people were arrested and held for 22 days on the charge of environmental crime. Only yesterday (september 19th 2007) were they released on probation.

This camp consists of 60 families, part of the regional peasant movement Movimiento Agrario y Popular (MAP). 3 months ago they occupied this domain, which forms part of a large landed estate of 3000 hectares. This estate is owned by Sr. Sapriza Núnez, who according to the MAP is a family member of current Paraguayan viceminister of Security, Mario Agustín Sapriza Núnez.