La Piedad Residents Demand Mayor Stop Alleged Land Grabs

Residents of the Mbocayaty neighborhood in Asunción, known locally as La Piedad, are living in fear due to alleged intimidation tactics aimed at dispossessing them of properties they have occupied for more than 20 years. The community claims the Vázquez Group SAE is attempting to develop a gated community on the land and denounces a judicial protection allegedly driven by straw purchasers.

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Mrs. Miriam Ramírez has a file, a request for municipal land, from years ago to regularize and a parallel file appeared. The title holder is Rodolfo Fernández, and that file moved very quickly.

Last week, resident Miriam Ramírez went to the prosecutor's office to respond to a property invasion complaint filed by Rodolfo Manuel Fernández Almada. However, Ramírez and her neighbors stated they do not know Fernández Almada, whom they identify as a suspected straw purchaser for the Vázquez Group SAE. This morning, Ramírez, accompanied by her lawyer and other residents, visited the Asunción Municipality to request an urgent meeting with Mayor Luis Bello.

Noelvis Martinez, the lawyer representing the La Piedad residents, explained that Ramírez has had a long-standing municipal land application for regularization. "A parallel file appeared. The title holder is Rodolfo Fernández, and that file moved very quickly," Martinez said. The residents requested the Municipal Council revoke this parallel file, which was then sent to the Mayor's office for a decision.

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That is what we have come to ask Mayor Luis Bello, that he help us, because it is a very just cause. Mrs. Miriam Ramírez had a wall broken down from behind, without any court order. They took all the things out of the house as if it were an eviction. They harmed her a lot, they even stole money.

"We came to ask Mayor Luis Bello for his help because it is a very just cause," Martinez stated. She recounted that Ramírez's wall was demolished without a court order, her belongings were removed as if it were an eviction, and money was stolen. Ramírez, who has lived in the neighborhood for 23 years, began the process of titling the municipal land from the beginning of her residency, but the process had never advanced until now.

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The news we have in the neighborhood is that the Vasquez Group wants to build a gated community on Pino González street. I have already seen the plan and it affects her home.