The National Peasant Federation (FNC) will march to Asunción to demand land access and policies for rural development. Led by Marcial Gómez, they protest against land issues and government influence by the Honor Colorado faction. The march emphasizes agrarian reform as outlined in the Constitution, coinciding with other demonstrations and highlighting tensions with President Santiago Peña’s administration.
On Thursday, Paraguay’s National Peasant Federation (FNC) will conduct its annual march to Asunción, advocating for land access, cessation of evictions, and policies to foster rural development. Protesters from twelve of Paraguay’s seventeen departments, such as San Pedro and Caaguazú, convened at the former Metropolitan Seminary on Wednesday to prepare for the event.
The FNC, led by Secretary-General Marcial Gómez, stands against land ownership issues and the influence of the Honor Colorado faction, led by former president Horacio Cartes, within national institutions. They are pushing for agrarian reform and condemning evictions affecting peasant and indigenous communities. Gómez stated, “In order for there to be national development, food production, primary production and the development of industry in our country must be promoted.”
The protests, themed “for land and production, against all injustices,” will coincide with other demonstrations in Asunción, including actions by workers, retirees, and opposition parties. Protesters encountered obstacles, such as a police blockade in Limpio, where one bus was detained; however, they eventually resumed their march after blocking a road in protest.
The march will traverse central Asunción and conclude with a reading of a manifesto at Plaza de la Democracia. This event underscores the ongoing tensions with President Santiago Peña’s administration, as critics, including Ermo Rodríguez from the Paraguay Pyahura Party, have emphasized the government’s lack of dialogue with grassroots movements.
This marks the thirty-first demonstration in thirty-one years aimed at promoting an Agrarian Reform Law, as stipulated in the Constitution, to improve land distribution and bolster small-scale food production critical to maintaining Paraguay’s food sovereignty.
In summary, the FNC’s annual march is a crucial event that highlights the ongoing struggles for land and equity in Paraguay. With strong participation from various departments and topics of agrarian reform at the center, the demonstration brings attention to the pressing need for dialogue between the government and affected communities. Through persistence and collective action, farmers and peasant organizations continue to advocate for necessary reforms that align with constitutional mandates and promote food sovereignty.
Original Source: en.mercopress.com
