MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Rural producers to stage tractor caravan protest in Buenos Aires

Aramendi explained rural producers need less pressure from the federal government

Argentine rural producers are planning to stage a tractor convoy parade Saturday onto Buenos Aires' Plaza de Mayo in front of Casa Rosada to protest against several measures by the administration of President Alberto Fernández which have seriously affected them.

The rally also seeks to avoid further steps in the same direction by the national Government, some of which have already been heralded.

Buenos Aires Mayor Horacio Rodríguez Larreta has admitted measures will be taken so that the convoy causes as little trouble as possible to porteños, while organizers of the march have said they had all clearances from authorities along their way.

Meanwhile, Federal Security Minister Aníbal Fernández wondered: “Are they going to enter the Federal Capital with tractors? Not a chance!”, although he later admitted city council authorities had granted the necessary permits.

Minister Fernández said the federal government was not going to hinder the demonstration in any way, but it was not going to guard it either.

Rosario's Rural Society President Soledad Aramendi explained that “the intention is not to obstruct but it is a march that is a symbol to gather people along the way and to congregate.”

Aramendi added in a radio interview with Uruguayan broadcaster Radio Colonia that the movement was due to “the situation we are going through.” She explained that “the citizens are fed up” with “proposals that are problems instead of solutions.”

“I hope that everything will be harmonious and that nothing will happen, that there will be respect above all.”

“What is happening in this country is that the Constitution is not respected. If we would respect it to the letter and concerning the Republic everything would be different,” Aramendi stressed.

Rural producers seek ”a completely different course [of action], an economic plan, that they stop issuing [money], that they lower inflation, promote work and free trade; today they are promoting social plans (allowances), not jobs,“ she went on.

Aramendi also argued that had there not been as many export duties all these years, ”we would have a more developed country because there would be more investment and more employment.“

”If the population is rid of taxes, this is development and independence, it is to promote work, it is dignity; the problem is we have generations of people who do not believe in that, who live in another reality because of a corrupt welfare system,“ that needs ”to be changed.“

The caravan will be ”in defense of the constitutional rights of citizens to work, trade and express themselves freely” against a high tax pressure and demand the elimination of export taxes, a decrease in public spending, and a solution to the shortage of diesel oil in the middle of the soybean and corn harvest.