Landowners Given OK to Evict Campesinos Guatemala City, April 4. Chief Prosecutor of the Nation Ramses Cuestas Gomez has given the green light to landowners to take the law into their own hands and evict peasants and farm workers who have invaded rural estates. They have the right to protect their property. Back in February however, Cuestas had advised against evictions, blaming the invasions on Guatemala's unequal land distribution. Cuestas' declaration comes a day after landowners allegedly tried to evict farm workers from an estate in Colomba Costa Cuca, Quetzaltenango province without waiting for a court order.
Landowners say the government is purposely holding up eviction orders against the invaders.
In the face of alleged government inaction, Agricultural Chamber president Humberto Preti called on the army to protect landowners' interests, and then told Congress that plantation owners would arm their tenant farmers to prevent occupations, if the invasions were not stopped. Surprisingly, Defense Minister Gen. Mario Enriquez did not back Preti's request for troops. Observers say the defense minister's position reflects current tensions between the government and the private sector, which is blocking the government's attempt to reform the tax system. Increased tensions in the countryside are also reflected in recent arrests of campesino leaders. Campesino groups charge that in separate incidents police in Retalhuleu province illegally arrested Cesar Alberto Custodio Juarez and Guillermo Cox Alvarado, and attempted to kidnap Alberto Ordonez.