Guatemala Urged to
Attend Rural Problems
Plataforma Agraria
(Agricultural Platform),
grouping about twenty
rural organizations,
urged the Guatemalan
government to pay urgent
attention to problems in
rural areas.
"Since hurricane Stan
hit the country in
October 2005, there has
not been any
reactivation of rural
economy," said spokesman
for Plataforma Agraria,
Abisaias Gomez.
According to Gomez, the
most serious rural
problems are unsolved
conflicts, the lack of
arable land, hunger,
malnutrition and
climatic changes.
There are 1,554
conflicts yet to be
settled, some of them
dating from 100 years,
with a high potential
for violence, according
to figures provided by
the Department of Rural
Affairs of the
Presidency.
Authorities have called
on the parties concerned
to a national dialogue
to address the country's
main issues. However, a
common agenda on this
subject is yet to be
agreed on, said the
Platform.
In this country of 13
million inhabitants,
62,5 percent of the
arable areas are owned
by two percent of
landowners. |
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