December 23, 2022, 4:00 AM
December 23, 2022, 4:00 AM
Dozens of police officers managed to escape unharmed from an attempted ambush in Guarayos when they were transferring 17 detainees, after executing an eviction in subjugated lands.
The police units displaced to Guarayos returned to the city last night, after intervening in various operations to evict oppressors who invaded private properties. After arresting the suspects, they suffered an ambush attempt, which was avoided. They ruled out that there was crossfire.
Upon learning of the situation, the Police Departmental Command sent a police contingent from Santa Cruz de la Sierra to protect the uniformed officers displaced to Guarayos. His arrival was expected at midnight.
In an operation, a group made up of officials from the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the Police and the INRA, intervened, this Thursday, the property called Las Tojas. On this occasion, they arrested 17 people who were living in tents on that land.
The police officer in charge informed the media that two 22-caliber rifles, chainsaws, machetes and other implements used for clearing those private lands were found at the site.
Members of the commission indicated that they will coordinate with the Forest and Land Authority (ABT) to determine the environmental damage caused in the place.
Salvador Vaca, president of the Civic Committee of the Guarayos province, made his voice heard to request that the police deployment not only limit itself to removing the oppressors, but that they be guarded and sent to Palmasola.
“That this is not just a walk, that the criminals are punished for precedent”, said the civic.
Consulted on the subject, the Minister of the Government, Eduardo del Castillo, preferred to keep a reserve about the operations and anticipated a press conference to refer specifically to the actions against the encroachments.
The deputy Luisa Nayar repudiated the attack and the “siege” of the oppressors against the police officers. “It is an inadmissible and reprehensible fact that must be punished as soon as possible,” she said.
They denounce the arrest of innocent people
According to the testimony of some residents of the Santa Rosa de Lima III community, located in the Guarayos province, two elderly people were arrested, mistaken for bullies. According to community representatives, these people have been living in the place for more than 15 years, where they even have children who were born in Santa Rosa de Lima III and, in addition, they are dedicated to livestock.
The testimony of the leaders denounces that these people were deceived from their homes to end up in detention.
The community lies within a Gwarayu Community Land of Origin (TCO). In contact with EL DEBER, these spokespersons allege that they do not harm the environment with burning or construction, as happens in a strip of public land close to where they live.
The president of the Federation of Cattlemen of Santa Cruz, Adrián Castedo, said that they have yet to talk with the Government about evictions, legal certainty, the work of INRA for more than 100 complaints still unprocessed of subjugated properties, observations on pending sanitation and the application of agri-environmental sentences.
Courts in Santa Cruz
Prosecutor Ricardo Cayalo indicated that the troops were blocked by the area of the Santa María community. “Those apprehended will be sent to Santa Cruz,” he said.
According to a preliminary report, another group of harassers aware of the operation felled trees and placed them in the middle of the road to prevent the passage of the buses in which they were traveling.
The Minister of Rural Development and Land, Remmy Gonzales, assured that another 12 subjugated properties in Santa Cruz will be evicted until the following week. On Monday, the ownership rights of five private properties were restored. According to Gonzáles, in the country there are a total of 223 seized properties.
