Priscilla Mazenotti Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília – Sergio Lobato Machado, the municipal secretary for International Affairs in the border city of Foz de Iguaçu, has called on members of Congress in Brasilia to get directly involved in what he calls “an extremely grave” situation in Paraguay where Brazilian landowning farmers, known as Brasiguaios, are threatened by landless Paraguayans, known as carperos.

Since January 23, carperos, claiming that Brazilians occupied land in their country illegally, have threatened to invade their property. The Brazilians deny any illegal acts.

According to Machado, “Some 350,000 Brazilians live in Paraguay. Some have lived there for 50 years. They have transformed the country into a breadbasket, one of the most important food producing areas in the world, and now their farms are under threat of invasion. They need support from the Brazilian government. I make this appeal because everyone needs to understand just how dangerous the situation is.”

The president of Paraguay, Fernando Lugo, has stated that his government will not allow acts of violence or people taking justice into their own hands. He has ordered the police to maintain order in the region.

It is reported that the Brazilian Senate is considering creating a commission to monitor the situation.

Allen Bennett – translator/editor The News in English

Link - Secretário pede ação direta do Parlamento brasileiro na questão dos brasiguaios