On Wednesday, March 12, in Los Juríes, Santiago del Estero, a violent eviction operation took place in Lot 42, resulting from a repression during a march of retirees. Police forces, led by Guillermo Mazzoni, owner of Los Mimbres SA, began the eviction of farming families belonging to the Santiago del Estero Peasant Movement (MOCASE) in Los Juríes. During the operation, indiscriminate gunfire was reported, in which both the police and armed gangs of Mazzoni used lead bullets.
One of the victims of the eviction suffered gunshot wounds to the feet, and several houses were destroyed during the action. Currently, eight people are detained, six in the capital of Santiago and two in Añatuya, some of them injured. Additionally, more than 15 peasants have been injured by rubber bullets and are receiving medical treatment in precarious conditions as the police continue to search for them.
The Santiago del Estero Peasant Movement (MOCASE) has demanded an urgent response from the relevant authorities, requesting the immediate release of the detainees and holding prosecutor María Emilia Ganem accountable for any event that endangers farming families.
In violation of current protocols, the police carried out a hunt during the eviction, extending the operation into the late hours of the night in search of more peasants to detain. These events constitute yet another example of the systematic violence of the state serving business interests, which seeks to displace peasant communities from their territories.
