No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveGuatemalans March to Demand Land Reform

Guatemalans March to Demand Land Reform

GUATEMALA CITY – Thousands of Guatemalan campesinos marched on the capital city March 30 to press demands for the resolution of agrarian disputes, access to land and an end to the granting of mining concessions in the Central American country.

A crowd estimated by local media at more than 5,000 also railed against laissezfaire economic policies and the U.S.-Central American Free-Trade Agreement (CAFTA).

While the mining issue has to do with concerns about damage to the environment, small farmers say that CAFTA and similar trade pacts expose them to unfair competition from subsidized producers in the United States and other wealthy nations.

Guatemalan President Oscar Berger, however, downplayed the protest, which was organized by two coalitions of campesino groups, saying it was nothing “dramatic.”

He said his government has the political will to meet the campesinos demands, adding that a high-level commission headed by Vice-President Eduardo Stein had been set up to find a solution. In the interior of the country, hundreds of campesinos also gathered in key areas to protest the lack of access to land and police evictions of campesinos from farms and ranches they have occupied.

According to Amnesty International, 62.5% of the arable land in Guatemala is in the hands of just 1.5% of the population. The watchdog-group on March 29 criticized the government for responding to the demands of Guatemalan indigenous squatters with forceful evictions that, according to the group, resulted in beatings and even some killings.

Stein, for his part, told reporters that the campesinos were demanding a confiscatory land reform that is unacceptable because it violates the Constitution. He said the President has instructed the commission to seek a rapid solution to the historical problem of unequal land distribution in the impoverished country.

 

Trending Now

Costa Rica’s Cerro Chirripó Ancient Ice Age Legacy Uncovered

Cerro Chirripó, Costa Rica’s highest peak at 3,820 meters above sea level, was the focus of a recent lecture at the National University’s Brunca...

Outrage in Costa Rica After Man Suspected of Killing 14 Dogs Is Released

A man identified by the surnames Ulloa Bustos, suspected of killing at least 14 dogs in the rural town of Pocora, was released after...

Chiquita to Rehire Thousands of Banana Workers in Panama

Chiquita Brands, one of the world’s largest banana producers, will return to Panama and rehire thousands of employees after shutting down operations three months...

Guatemala Frees Hostages After Prison Gang Riots

Guatemalan authorities freed hostages on Monday who were being held by gang members in two prisons, including a juvenile facility, in riots attributed to...

Costa Rica’s Crucitas Faces Environmental Disaster from Illegal Gold Mining

Environmental crime in Costa Rica has escalated dramatically, with the illegal gold mining crisis in the Crucitas region now bearing all the hallmarks of...

El Salvador Fires School Leaders After Bukele Shares Gang Video

The Minister of Education ordered the dismissal of the director and deputy director of a public institute shown in a video shared by President...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica