The murder of the peasant leader in Santiago del Estero led to a call for demonstrations outside the province’s offices of the Federal government.

Cristian, 23, was murdered on November 16. He was a member of the Peasant Movement of Santiago del Estero (MOCASE), which is part of the National Peasant and Indigenous Movement (MNCI-Vía Campesina).

One of Cristian’s friends, who was with him when he was killed, was
seriously injured and is still hospitalized.

Adolfo was interviewed saying that the demonstrations were also a time to denounce things but also to meet and to strengthen the commitment to fight for an agrarian reform that would protect the rights of peasant families in Argentina.

“The message has been that we shall not stop until Cristian’s crime is punished”, says Adolfo.

When Adolfo Farias was speaking with Real World Radio an arrest warrant was being issued against the person whom they suspect was the mastermind of the crime, Santa Fe businessman Cicciolli.

The Argentinean media published the news of the murder of the peasant leader saying that “in only two years four activists in defense of their territory were killed. On October 12 of 2009 Javier Chocobar was killed in Tucuman. On March 13, 2012 peasant Sandra Ely Juarez died of a heart attack in front of a bulldozer. On November 23, 2010 Roberto Lopez was killed in a road block in Formosa. Last Wendesday Cristian Ferreyra became part of this list”, reads newspaper Pagina 12. “None of the people behind these crimes were arrested”.

Produced by Friends of the Earth Argentina.

Photo: apc-suramerica.net