Land at risk - Indigenous and peasant groups march for days toward La Paz to oppose Law 1720 amid fears of medium property debt trap

"Thousands of peasants and indigenous people from Bolivia's Pando department were seen marching towards La Paz for the 16th day, demanding the repeal of Law 1720, which threatens access to land in their communities. Footage filmed on Thursday shows protesters carrying Bolivian flags and organisation banners while chanting. The march began on April 8 in El Porvenir with around 100 people. Organisers say it has now grown to about 3,000. Feyfer Quajiru, Executive Secretary of Harakbut, Yine, and Matsiguenga Council (COHARYIMA), explained the core demands of the protest. "We have three demands. First, the immediate repeal of Law 1720. Second, the immediate legal protection of our lands. And third, the anti-blockade law, which we will not accept either, just as we will not accept other laws being passed without consultation, without proper engagement with the public," he said. Vivian Palomeque, one of the demonstrators, claimed that the government is violating the constitution and ignoring protesters' demands. "We want to make clear that this government has failed to respect us from the very first day of its mandate. It has violated the Constitution, and that is our grievance. As women, we will continue this struggle until the very end," she said. The law was enacted in early April by President Rodrigo Paz and represents the core of the 'Popular Capitalism' agenda. It allows the National Institute of Agrarian Reform (INRA) to reclassify some small properties as medium-sized land, making them eligible for sale, loans and seizure. According to the government, this measure helps to unlock the economic value of rural land, while representatives of indigenous opposition claim it is a 'debt trap.' Protesters say the law threatens ancestral land rights and land allocation processes. They say the march will continue until the government gives them clear answers."

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