MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Massive flags protest demonstration across Argentina programmed for Sunday

Pedestrians and vehicles with hundreds of Argentine flags during the last demonstration surrounding the Buenos Aires obelisk

A massive Argentine flags' protest is scheduled for this Sunday with the support of different sectors of urban communities and farmers throughout the country, similar to the several that have been successfully held so far this year in support of the defense of Liberty, the Republic and Justice. The last one was on 12 October.

Outside cities, farmers with tractors and vehicles will concentrate in the main highways with a massive display of Argentine flags, to “defend freedoms and Justice which is being subjugated. We must be present and committed, since we are heading to become another Venezuela, 'Argenzuela, and they are forcing us to a subsistence agriculture”'

Argentine farmers are not only concerned about taxes, costs and an adverse exchange rate for agriculture, but also land grabbing and squatting that has taken place in several provinces, with the most emblematic that of the Etchevehere family in Entre Rios. Their farm was occupied by a social worker, Juan Grabois, very close to Pope Francis, and a group of supposedly landless peasants who favor agrarian reform and organic farming.

After much struggling a court finally ordered the eviction of squatters, but what really had all bells ringing was that radical elements of the Government of President Alberto Fernandez and of the provincial government not only supported, but also participated and encouraged grabbing the farm. “We have lost to the oligarchy that has stolen the land from the poor, a corrupt Justice system and the media controlled by great financial groups”, said Grabois in a message after leaving the farm.

Luis Miguel Etchevehere is a former Agriculture minister under ex president Mauricio Macri's government and was also president of the Argentine Rural Society. So it can be said that the target for the occupation was well calculated beforehand.

“Argentine society is tired of government's bullying and will not stop until they are respected. We must persist and not desist because government knows it has lost control of the street demonstrations and the message hurts. Demonstrations have forced the government to backtrack in several controversial issues”, pointed out Etchevehere.

Another farmers' association, the Argentine Agrarian Federation will also be accompanying the demonstration, arguing that the “federal government must understand it governs for all and not only for their followers and sympathizers”.

“There are rights enshrined in the constitution such as private property which the government is ignoring as is repeatedly happening with the rash of land and house grabbing and occupations as is experienced in several provinces. Besides security forces have a limited field of action because of scarce sources and most critically, the political inspired instructions they receive”.