COLOMBIA-PROTEST/FARMERS Colombian farmers blockade Agriculture Ministry in angry protest
Record ID:
140531
COLOMBIA-PROTEST/FARMERS Colombian farmers blockade Agriculture Ministry in angry protest
- Title: COLOMBIA-PROTEST/FARMERS Colombian farmers blockade Agriculture Ministry in angry protest
- Date: 2nd September 2015
- Summary: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (SEPTEMBER 01, 2015) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF INDIGENOUS GROUPS PROTESTING IN FRONT OF COLOMBIA'S AGRICULTURE MINISTRY VARIOUS OF POLICE OVERSEEING THE DEMONSTRATION MORE OF INDIGENOUS GROUPS DEMONSTRATING (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) AGRARIAN LEADER, ROBERT DAZA, SAYING: "The reality is that we are not leaving until the government signs the 264 projects that we delivered to them in July of last year, until they are on the table (and until) the government commits itself to defending lives, commits itself to avoid assassinating our leaders, of our communities on our land. So, the government has to say 'yes' sooner or later, but we will remain here for as long as necessary and we are not going back to our land empty-handed." VARIOUS MORE OF DEMONSTRATION WITH INDIGENOUS FLAGS AND ACTIVISTS (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) AGRARIAN LEADER, ROBERT DAZA, SAYING: "We are not committing a violent act. This is peaceful action. Completely peaceful. The indigenous peoples have some traditional attire which are bows, arrows (and) clubs which they use to get food in their land. They have come in this way representing their culture and this is in no way a threat to any citizen of Bogota nor any workers at the (governmental) ministries or the institutions." VARIOUS OF INDIGENOUS PROTESTERS WITH CLUBS
- Embargoed: 17th September 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Colombia
- Country: Colombia
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVAECLZMN2RT9G4FX80A62RY8F7Y
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Some 250 Colombian peasant farmers, many of them from indigenous groups, demonstrated outside Colombia's Agricultural Ministry in Bogota on Tuesday (September 1) as they demanded the government move forward with agricultural reforms.
The protesters said they were demanding 250 billion Colombian pesos ($80,250,000 dollars) be freed up to finance more than 200 agricultural projects the government had agreed to following farmers' strikes in 2013.
Agrarian leader Robert Daza said the demonstrations would continue until the government moves forward.
"The reality is that we are not leaving until the government signs the 264 projects that we delivered to them in July of last year, until they are on the table (and until) the government commits itself to defending lives, commits itself to avoid assassinating our leaders, of our communities on our land. So, the government has to say 'yes' sooner or later, but we will remain here for as long as necessary and we are not going back to our land empty-handed," Daza said.
The Agricultural Ministry, however, has indicated that not all the ideas have been approved, noting that some are not legally feasible.
Though many of the demonstrators wore hoods and some carried traditional weapons, Daza insisted they did not pose a threat to anyone.
"We are not committing a violent act. This is peaceful action. Completely peaceful. The indigenous peoples have some traditional attire which are bows, arrows (and) clubs which they use to get food in their land. They have come in this way representing their culture and this is in no way a threat to any citizen of Bogota nor any workers at the (governmental) ministries or the institutions," he said.
Even though the government of Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has made improving the conditions of the poor and cutting the jobless rate a priority, difficulties for farmers are unlikely to change in the coming months. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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