At last, after many years of legal battle, the appelation court in Encarnación has confirmed the sentence against the two soy farmers who caused the death of 11-years old Silvino Talavera by agrochemicals: they will go to jail!

Compañeros y compañeras,

Se acuerdan, que tras la confirmación de la condena a dos años de cárcel para los responsables de la muerte de Silvino Talavera, el Juez penal de Ejecución de Ejecución, abogado Quintín Cardozo, había dispuesto la ejecución a prueba de la condena. Es decir, a pesar de estar condenados no iban a ir a la cárcel. Habíamos apelado esa decisión y remitido montón de cartas al juez de ejecución y al tribunal para rechazar el pedido, pues no se ajustaba a derecho.

La Invasión Brasileña, las sandalias y el FMI
Luis Agüero Wagner

"Oportunidade de Terras no Paraguai" rezaba un espacio comercial publicado en el periódico O Estado de Sao Paulo el 12 de enero de 1979, testimoniando el negociado del cual surgiría la actual problemática que aqueja al campesinado paraguayo.

An outline of the impacts of soy monoculture expansion in Paraguay which causes the disappearance of rural communities as soy expansion is the main driver of the expulsion of Paraguayan campesinos by force or by the deteriation of their living conditions.

click to view slideshow

Background article
Farmers struggle in Paraguay against expanding soy cultivation

The huge increase of soy fields is expulsing small scale farmers from their lands in Paraguay, but also in Brazil, Argentina and Bolivia. Some even speak about a soy-tsunami that is submerging farmer communities. The expansion of soy cultivation goes along with a widely spread violation of human rights. The production is mainly used as animal feed for the meat production in Europe and China. Recently also agro-energy increases the demand for soy and other crops.

During the whole month of May A SEED, CEO and the Movimiento Agrario y Popular, with the support of BASE.IS will cross through various European countries on an info-tour. Below the name 'la soja mata' or soy (we understand large scale soy cultivation) kills' info-evenings, meetings, action and filmfestivals will be heald in which there will be a focuss on large scale soy cultivation, genetechnology, agrofuels and resistance.
Central in this tour is Gilda Roa, representative of the Paraguayan peasant organisation MAP (Movimiento Agrario y Popular).slideshow and background on soy expansion in Paraguay and resistance of MAP

Written by Arturo Peña, translated by April Howard: Pedro Silva is the active campesino leader from the Lima District, in the province of San Pedro, and member of the Provincial Coordinator in Defense of Sovereignty, a front that opposes the advance of soy monoculture in the area,. Silva was wounded last friday night in his house by two hit men of Brazilian nationality. Silva was hit with three bullets, two in the abdomen and one in the right arm. His recuperation, in the Emergency Medical Hospital in Asunción, was stable until today when a clot was discovered that could affect his lungs, due to which surgery will be needed. The family of Pedro Silva communicated that they will be needing blood donors in the next few hours.
To contact the Silvas to make a solidarity donation, please call Silva's son in law Benigno Acosta: 0981 636 932.

Community Ybype, San Pedro, Paraguay. Written by Arturo Peña: Don Pedro Silva is what they say, in Guarani, Iguenoiterei, which literally means "good hearted” person. But he is also a fighter and community leader for many years, surviving in the district of Lima, department of San Pedro, Paraguay.
Yesterday, two people attacked him in his home in the afternoon. They entered through the back of his property (which is next to a soya monoculture). Don Pedro was shot four times with bullets in the areas of the stomach, chest and arm. He arrived to a hospital in Asuncion and is conscious (Saturday 26, 12:30 pm). He is now being under surgery in the Hospital of Emergency. He had to be transported, in a car, first from his city to another close by, Santani, and from there to Asuncion, because they could not find the necessary medical infrastructure to treat him.

Wednesday April 23, 2008, Buenos Aires:During a plenary session of the 3rd conference of the Round Table on Responsible Soy, a group of representatives of organisations signing the declaration denouncing the RTRS, made an intervention expressing their rejection of the greenwash caused by the RTRS. "Responsible soy is an unresolvable contradiction and in no way a viable option".

The Round Table on Responsible Soy is seeking to legitimise irresponsible, socially and environmentally damaging soy production, according to a new report published today (Tuesday 22 April) ahead of the Round Table on Responsible Soy’s third conference in Buenos Aires.

During this day several actions worldwide took place, a short selection:
Activists block Cargill in Belgium
view video at www.politube.org (search on Cargill)

Thursday April 17th, the international day of farmers struggles, the group Agrocrisis blocked a Cargill [1] company firm in the harbour of Ghent, Belgium. Some 30 activists began the action at around 6h30 in the morning and lasted until after 5 p.m. During all that time, not one truck with soy could enter or leave the firm. Some activists had locked themselves with pipes and bicycle chains at the gate, so it was impossible to open the entrance without brute force. The staff of the firm, scared of bad publicity, chose therefore to let the activists occupy the gate and didn't ask the police to intervene.

The whole month of May, Paraguayan peasant leader Gilda Roa from peasant organisation MAP, will be touring through Europe. Events have already been confirmed in Spain, Germany, Holland and Belgium.

There is still some space left in the agenda to organise more...
if you are intered please contact
an [at] aseed.net

Below some background information on the MAP
MOVIMIENTO AGRARIO Y POPULAR