World
A court in Paraguay sentenced 11 farmers to up to 30 years in jail for killing six police officers during a land reform protest in 2012 in Curuguaty, some 250km northwest of the capital, Asuncion. The case sparked global outcry, with local and international human rights organizations alleging judicial irregularities and partisanship during the trial.
Four years ago, clashes erupted when a group of around 250 policemen was sent to remove landless farmers, who had occupied a piece of land belonging to an agricultural company, writes the BBC. The gunfight resulted in the death of 17 people, including 11 protesters. The Paraguayan prosecutors drew international condemnation for not investigating the deaths of the farmers, who died during the operation.
The incident triggered a political crisis in Paraguay, eventually leading to the ouster of left-wing President Fernando Lugo, reports Deutsche Welle. A majority of bloody disputes in Paraguay are a result of unequal land distribution in the country.
According to the 2008 census, more than 85 percent of Paraguay’s land is owned by just 2.6 percent of landowners, with only 6 percent of agricultural land available to about 90 percent of small farmers.
