October 5, 2024, 10:35 PM
October 5, 2024, 10:35 PM
The leadership of the Single Union Federation of Peasant Workers of Santa Cruz instructed all its base organizations “initiate, in an organized and staggered manner, the general road blockade starting at zero hours on Tuesday, October 8.”
This measure is assumed in demand of the modification of Supreme Decree 5225that declared an ecological environmental pause throughout the national territory due to the emergency due to forest fires.
The instructions, signed by more than a dozen leaders, recall that in an emergency extension on September 17, their federation determined the “request for the repeal of Supreme Decree 5225, in order to avoid conflicts and maintain a climate of stability in the department of Santa Cruz.”
In that sense, according to the same document, the federation agreed to open spaces for dialogue and agreed to reach a consensus on possible modifications of the questioned decree, signing on September 26, with authorities from the Ministry of the Environment, the Ministry of Rural Development, ABT and INRA, “a commitment document that, in essence, states that, as of September 30, technical work tables would be set up in order to reach a consensus on the modification of articles 3 and 5 (of the aforementioned decree).”
The peasant federation adds that, “despite the technical work tables having been installed, the assigned officials (…) resisted reaching a consensus on the modification of articles 3 and 5, making it clear that they did not have the authority to reach that consensus. Therefore, said work was suspended in the afternoon of October 1 so that the Minister of Environment and Water could be present in Santa Cruz in order to comply with what was agreed,” the document quotes.
Then, according to the peasant organization, an invitation letter was sent to restart work on Thursday, October 3 in the city of Santa Cruz, but “there was no response of any kind, finding the agreement of September 26 flouted”.
Article 3 establishes that “the available fiscal lands affected by burning and fires will be considered Unavailable Fiscal Lands for a minimum period of five years until they are restored and subsequently used.”
Article 5 indicates that the Ministry of Defense and the Ministry of Government, through the corresponding bodies, will reinforce the protection of protected areas and forest reserves at the national level.
However, the organization that threatens blockades assures that the modification of the two articles is requested because ““put at risk and hinder access to land” of peasant communities.
