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This new report called ¨Paraguay Sojero¨ (Soy producer Paraguay), has been compiled by Grupo de Reflexión Rural. It exposes the widespread human rights violations, including biodiversity destruction, related to soya expansion in Paraguay.
Javiera Rulli, one of the authors, says: “Ongoing human rights violations in Paraguay go hand in hand with the advancement of soy monocultures. Agribusiness corporations knowingly take advantage of the fact that in Paraguay corruption florishes, while environmental regulations or human rights are not respected¨.
Background
The expansion of soy monocultures is causing a wave of environmental and social destruction throughout the MERCOSUR. The Biodiversity Convention does not succeed to counteract the free trade policies headed by the WTO, that are at the basis of the expansion of industrial agriculture. Equally, the Convention fails to provide any protection for local and indigenous communities, that according to the Convention are main actors in saving biodiversity.
The situation in Paraguay presents the most pronounced case of this violence against the rural and indigenous population. Soy monocultures cover 2 million hectares, causing a great loss of (agro)biodiversity and food security. Communities are frequently threatened by violent evictions, carried out with help of corrupt police forces and paramilitaries. Intensive fumigations with agrochemicals intoxicate people, animals, destroy harvests, contaminate water sources and ruin rural livelihoods. Companies like Cargill and Monsanto are amongst those most benefiting from the expansion of soy production.
Jorge Galeano witnessed the infamous eviction of June 24 2005 in the community of Tekojoja, where a group of soy producers and hired policemen expelled 270 people from their lands, burnt 54 houses and adjacent fields, arrested 130 people and killed two.
In 2003, Petrona Villasboa and her entire family were poisoned after fumigations with glyphosate by a GM soy producer next to their farm. Her 11 years old son Silvino Talavera died. Petrona and CONAMURI is fighting a legal battle for justice against the two soy producers envolved.
These cases are just examples of the consequences of soy expansion, suffered by small producers and indigenous communities in the countryside of MERCOSUR countries.
For more information contact:
Javiera Rulli: javierarulli@yahoo.com,
Or Nina Holland: buen-aventura@gmx.net
In Europe: Stella.semino@mail.dk, Lilianj16@yahoo.com
Photos, articles and press releases and the report “Paraguay Sojero” are available from the website of Grupo de Reflexión Rural: www.grr.org.ar
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