Argentina is going through deep changes which confronts Cristina Fernandez’ administration with the country’s big economic groups determined to prevent any form of democratization and judiciary restructuring.

As part of these changes, on Monday 17, peasant, urban, environmental and human rights organizations gathered at Plaza del Congreso, in Buenos Aires, to demand the passing of a bill to stop the eviction of peasant and indigenous families of their lands¬.
Real World Radio interviewed Deolinda Carrizo, of the National Peasant and Indigenous Movement (MNCI) who was at the demonstration.

The activists also expressed their opposition to a bill that furthers privatization by large biotechnology corporations that develop and patent seeds as part of agribusiness.

The calling organizations included the Popular Front Dario Santillan and Grain besides regional, national, urban and rural groups.

In the joint declaration, the organizations say that the increase in the food prices is linked with land concentration and hence, to the defense of territories and to public aid for peasant and family farming.

The production and commercialization of food by few speculative corporations, which cause an increase in the food prices, have no relation with supply and demand. We demand economic policies and resources to guarantee healthy and diversified food”.

They also demand a change in the national policies that promote livestock and agriculture in Argentina. They demand that they allocate half of their budget to promote family and peasant agriculture, and not just 5% of their budget. They propose food sovereignty instead of agribusiness. Soy agribusiness in Argentina occupies nearly 16 million hectares of land.

In order to defend their territories, peasant and suburban organizations demand the passing of a bill (known as “Cristian Ferreyra” after the leader of the Peasant Movement of Santiago del Estero killed by businessmen) to stop evictions for a period that will enable to carry out a surveillance of land owners and other forms of land ownership in Argentina.

“The evictions have caused violence and deaths in our territories, we need to stop them now”, reads the MNCI’s press release.

Deolinda said the mobilization in Buenos Aires is also linked with the MNCI’s proposal to encourage the return to the countryside.

Photo: MNCI women activists on December at Plaza del Congreso, Bs.As., Julian Roqué (@jrmocase)

* See the complete list of calling organizations:
National Peasant and Indigenous Movement -Vía Campesina; Peasant Movement of Liberation (MCL); Provincial Board of Family Farmers Organizations of Buenos Aires province (MESA); National Peasant Front (FNC); Family Farming Forum (FONAF); Peasant and Indigeous Assembly of the North of Argentina (ACINA); Los Pibes ; Confederación de Trabajadores de la Economía Popular (CTEP); Red el encuentro; Movimiento Patriótico Revolucionario Quebracho; Frente Popular Darío Santillán; Coordinadora de Organizaciones y Movimientos Populares de Argentina (COMPA); “Che Pibe” Foundation; Frente Amplio para una Nueva Agronomía (FANA); la Cátedra Libre de Soberanía Alimentaria de la Universidad Nacional de La Plata; Coordinadora de Organizaciones Campesinas, Indígenas y de Trabajadores Rurales de Argentina (COCITRA-CLOC-VC); Acción por la Biodiversidad and Grain.