Paraguayan farmers protest, demand government aid and road repairs

More than 300 farmers affiliated with the National Campesino Federation (FNC) mobilized on Monday in Coronel Oviedo and the Caaguazú district of Paraguay, marking the organization's 35th anniversary with protests demanding greater government support. The farmers are specifically calling for increased assistance to family agriculture, the timely provision of essential farming inputs, and the crucial repair of rural roads.

The demonstrations began in front of the Agrarian Extension Directorate (DEAg), where the farmers urged the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG) to enhance its presence in rural communities. They seek technical assistance, seeds, and other necessary implements to bolster production and ensure the stability of farming families. Subsequently, protesters marched to the Caaguazú Governorate, demanding the repair of rural roads vital for transporting their produce to market.

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the assistance of the MAG to small producers was practically nil in recent years, a situation that, according to him, deepened the crisis that numerous peasant families in the department are going through.

Adrián Vázquez, a departmental leader for the FNC, stated that assistance from the MAG to small producers has been virtually nonexistent in recent years. He argued that this neglect has exacerbated the crisis faced by numerous farming families in the department, which comprises approximately 250 producers across various districts. Vázquez asserted that President Santiago Peña's claims of economic growth do not reflect the reality of extreme need experienced by many rural families.

The farmers also directed criticism at Governor Marcelo Soto (ANR HC), accusing him of failing to fulfill his commitment to construct all-weather roads for rural communities. They highlighted that many road sections remain impassable, particularly during rainy seasons, hindering the transport of agricultural products from their farms. The FNC warned that if authorities do not provide a swift response, they will escalate their protests across Caaguazú.

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the affirmations of President Santiago Peña about a growing economy do not reflect the reality that families in the field live, assuring that many of them are going through a situation of extreme need.