[from Benjamin Dangl's Dancing with Dynamite: Social Movements and States in Latin America, AK Press, 2010]
As president, [Lugo] the “red Bishop” (a nickname referring to his supposed leftist politics on the campaign trail) became the leader of one of the most corrupt nations in the world, a country marked by catastrophic inequalities. Forty percent of the population own just 11.5 percent of the wealth, while the wealthiest 10 percent control 40.9 percent. Lugo hasn’t shown the capacity to confront this inequality. However, as the soy industry and its penchant for violence against small farmers threaten to wipe out the Paraguayan campesino entirely, many communities are fighting back — with or without Lugo’s backing. . . .
A report from the Paraguayan Human Rights Coordinator (CODEHUEY), states that in 2007, Paraguay exported more than 4.3 million tons of soy and $370 million in beef. Between 2007 and 2008, the soy industry grew by 26 percent. Meanwhile, 600,000 children in the country remain malnourished. Seventy-seven percent of the fertile land in the country is owned by one percent of the population, while the small farmers that make up 40 percent of the population own just 5 percent of the farmland. . . . the toxic, militarized, and ever-growing nature of agro-industry doesn’t even allow for farmers to produce for their own consumption. . . .
In many cases, it is a simple question of priorities, and whether the government and justice systems believe their duty is to uphold the rights of corporations and the wealthy over the rights of working, homeless, or landless people. . . .
