Paraguay on trial for the Curuguaty Massacre: ¿Justice or scapegoats?
Opinion piece written by Luis Lezcano Claude, the former member of the Supreme Court of Paraguay, now acting as defense for the farmers on trial
The so-called “Massacre of Curuguaty” occurred during June the 15th of 2012, at the whereabouts of the city of Curuguaty, located at 150 miles northwest of Asuncion, Paraguay. Poor farmers struggling for their right to access land, were camping in a property owned by the State of Paraguay.
The company Campos Morumbi, owned by Blas Riquelme, one of the largest corporate farmers and businessmen linked to the dictator Stroessner during his entire regime, claimed rights over the adjoining lands. By means of influence trafficking and adulterated court procedures, it achieved recognition of alleged rights over them, even if the case is still open.
That morning, more than 300 agents of the National Police (including enforcers of specialized groups) were supposed to perform indefinite actions of break-in and eviction of the fieldworkers. According to information provided by the police itself, in the open field area where the officers were supposed , there were around 60 fieldworkers. Actions degenerated in a shootout in which 17 people were killed. 6 policemen and 11 workers.
The dead and wounded presented gun impacts of gauge correspondent to the automatic and semiautomatic weaponry employed by the policemen. The incident was also used as the main leverage by which the “political trial” to the president Fernando Lugo, even though until now, it´s moral authorship has not been brought into discussion.
The correspondent oral trial begun in Asuncion, approximately a year ago, and next monday the first instance ruling will be known.
The role of the Public Ministry related to the massacre, was infested with irregularities. A Clear proof of the total lack of objectivity from the attorneys involved, is the fact that current investigation is ongoing solely for the death of the six policemen. Nothing has been done regarding the death of 11 workers. The whole trial has revolved around determining responsibilities for only those deaths.
Some evidence has been hidden or reported missing. Other procedures, such as autopsies, were poorly performed. Public MInistry sought, at any cost, to accuse some alleged guilty in order to have the case shut down, assuming that press and public opinion wouldn´t give the case much attention, as it only concerned poor fieldworkers.
A group of 12 fieldworkers were accused of “criminal association”, when they were in process with the correspondent state body — the National Institute of Land and Rural Development (INDERT is its spanish acronym)- attempting to regulate the occupation of their lands. Of “trespassing alien property”, when the State had not performed any previous claims, and of “temptative murder” (even though 17 deceased existed), converted after the allegation to “consummate murder” for several of the accused, without them having had the chance to properly defend for this charge.
As a matter of fact, the real debate behind everything is the farmer’s struggle for land access, to be able to survive. The real agenda behind this trial is pushing indefinitely the farmer´s legitimate claim and to maintain the benefits and privilege of a part of the ruling classes: the corporate farm owners.
The Public Ministry has shown excessive haste by asking for 5 to 30 years of custodial sentence. Social struggle is being criminalized and punishments that serve as a lesson to the “involved” and as an example to future possible felons. Not so much to discourage them from life attempts, but rather to threats against the real estate establishment.
State bodies, as National Police and Public Ministry have been used as a hunting device. The hope that the Justice Department — represented by the Sentence Court — does not fall in this maneuvering. The decision is now between handing justice by means of absolving all of the prosecuted, or to condemn some scapegoats with the sole purpose to have the case dismissed.
We thank specially CigarraPy for the photographic documentation provided.
