Overview:
María Ramona Cuña Duarte, a Paraguayan peasant activist, elaborates on the crucial struggles faced by peasant organizations in Paraguay, emphasizing the ongoing battle for land access amid foreign land ownership, primarily by Brazilians. She highlights the socio-economic and political challenges due to weak governmental institutions and the problem of land occupation by wealthy foreign farmers. María also discusses the attempts to establish a peasant university to empower young activists with technical and political education, contrasting it with the current limited-opportunity system. Reflecting 12 years after the coup against President Fernando Lugo, she identifies past mistakes and envisions a more inclusive, sustainable future led by youth and women, advocating for equitable resource management and stronger political representation for peasants.
María Ramona Cuña Duarte, a dedicated peasant activist from Paraguay, discusses the challenges and aspirations of peasant organizations in the country. From land access battles to struggles against foreign landowners, María shares her insights into the socio-economic and political realities faced by the rural population. This interview occurs 12 years after the parliamentary coup that ousted President Fernando Lugo, marking a pivotal moment in Paraguayan history.
Q: Tell us who you are and what your role is.
A: My name is María Ramona Cuña Duarte. I’m 33 years old and of peasant origin. I migrated to the city due to economic reasons in 2010 and have since been actively involved in peasant organizations. I started with a group called the Popular Agrarian Movement but later joined a smaller, younger organization. Many of us there studied agroecology engineering, thanks to an attempt to create a university for peasants. Although this effort wasn’t legally finalized, I have five years of agroecological studies.
Q: Explain a bit about the purpose of these peasant organizations in Paraguay.
A: Since I began my activism in 2010, I understood the primary goal of peasant organizations in Paraguay is the fight for land access. Paraguay is an agrarian country with a large portion of its economy based on large-scale grain production. However, land invasions and expulsions have occurred by foreign entrepreneurs, mainly Brazilians, who have occupied and titled lands in their name, displacing entire communities, both indigenous and peasant. This struggle for land is crucial as it remains a central conflict in Paraguay. We also work on agrarian and public policies to strengthen the peasant sector and ensure access to markets, productive projects, and state support.
Q: You mentioned politics in the agricultural sector and the university. Do they relate? How does the current model in Paraguay differ from what you propose?
A: In Paraguay, public universities are scarce and hard to access, especially for young peasants with limited financial resources. That’s why peasant organizations saw the need to technically, professionally, and politically train young people. They attempted to create a peasant-oriented university to allow young activists to study, train, and return to their communities to develop productive projects. Although the institution couldn’t be legalized due to legal hurdles, the studies were high quality, and now many of us use that knowledge in our current activities, including public universities where we continue our education. The difference between the current model and what we propose is significant. The current system offers few opportunities and is rife with patronage, whereas our proposal seeks to integrate technical with political education, fostering true rural education and development with fair land access.
Q: From the outside, hearing about Brazilians occupying lands usually evokes thoughts of land movements in Brazil. But what you describe is different. How does this work?
A: Brazilian landowners come to Paraguay to produce grains on large land extensions. About three or four decades ago, they began arriving from the border, especially from Ciudad del Este and the Alto Paraná department. Paraguay has a very weak institutional framework, facilitating these foreign landowners’ acquisition of property titles, often fraudulently, with the collaboration of local authorities. This has led to the expulsion and disappearance of entire communities. The occupied lands are dedicated exclusively to large-scale grain production, reducing biodiversity and worsening socio-economic and environmental conditions.
Q: You talked about the delegitimization of the civil code in Paraguay regarding the land struggle. Can you elaborate on that and how it affects the peasant population?
A: In Paraguay, the land conflict is a social problem that has been criminalized. A few years ago, a law was passed making land occupation a crime with very high penalties. This worsens the situation, as instead of finding solutions to land access issues, those fighting for the right to a piece of land to survive are punished. Criminalization leads to more evictions, poverty, and misery, discouraging communities from continuing to fight for their rights. Land is central to peasant life, and criminalizing this struggle is a very harsh and counterproductive way to address the issue.
Q: In many industrialized countries, peasants tend not to be progressive and sometimes disagree with environmental movements. What is the situation here in Paraguay?
A: That is a notable difference. In Paraguay, peasants directly associate with the struggle for land access. Small-scale peasants fight for a sustainable production model and against the massive use of agrochemicals and GMOs. Although there are contradictions, like peasants who do use contaminating technology packages, our struggle also involves defending a production model that respects biodiversity and is fit for human consumption. We seek not only land access but also inclusive production policies that allow us to play a leading role in creating and implementing sustainable agricultural projects.
Q: You briefly mentioned hydroelectric plants. What importance do they have for social movements and the country’s economy?
A: Paraguay shares significant hydroelectric plants with Brazil and Argentina, generating substantial income from the energy produced. However, the management of these resources has been controversial. In Brazil, benefits are distributed to municipalities, while in Paraguay, all revenues go to the central government, often lost to corruption and not reaching communities. Social movements in Paraguay fight for fairer and more equitable management of these resources. Historically, agreements have been unfavorable for Paraguay, creating a debt we have paid multiple times and still used as an excuse not to distribute benefits more fairly.
Q: You mentioned that during Fernando Lugo’s government between 2008 and 2012, there was hope and possibilities for change. What did that period leave behind, and what mistakes do you acknowledge from that time?
A: Lugo’s government was a historic milestone for Paraguay, allowing us to envisage accessing rights and changing our reality. Although there were mistakes and limitations, mainly because traditional elites remained powerful, it was a moment of hope and progress. One mistake was not creating a strong enough base to support that progressive government, leading to the coup that ended his term. We failed to better understand power dynamics and how to maintain and capitalize on what was achieved. Now, with the experience, we know we need to strengthen our organizations and strategies not to repeat the same errors. This interview marks 12 years since that parliamentary coup, a significant point of reflection for us.
Q: Finally, if your side had another chance to gain power, what should you do differently?
A: We would approach things differently, learning from the processes of other countries like Bolivia, Brazil, and Argentina. It is crucial to bet on youth and women for a true organizational and political change. We need leadership regeneration and more engagement of social movements in the state. We must strengthen institutions and ensure political decisions genuinely represent the people’s interests. This includes fostering integral education, inclusive public policies, and fair and transparent management of natural resources. We must learn from our mistakes and build a solid base to sustain a progressive government and guarantee rights for all Paraguayans.
Thank you very much, María, for sharing your vision and experience with us.