She said the Paraguayan government’s decision of investigating the situation of “unduly acquired” lands in the border between Paraguay and Brazil sparked the reaction of land owners and led to the postponement of the rights of thousands of peasants.

The organization “Carperos” are landless peasants in conflictive areas who demand lands unduly acquired by Brazilian rancher Tranquilino Fabero, who has accumulated a million hectares of the best lands of the country. “Many of the property titles he has are counterfeit and false”, said Magui.

A mission of the Paraguayan state tried to determine which are regular lands and which have been directly appropriated for decades. However, despite the mission was carried out by Paraguayan military, they encountered the land owners’ strong resistance who organized irregular armed bodies.

Conamuri expressed its “solidarity with the fighters who are waging this historical battle to reclaim land that belongs to the Paraguayan state and that were once taken through usurpation, fraud and through human rights violations”.

Magui said the confrontation over land “has caused great tension” because it could destabilize Fernando Lugo’s administration, which does not have a majority in Parliament and is constantly being attacked by the land owners, retired military and the media.

The land owners have even threatened to block the 2013 elections.

Photo: radioam970.com