Protest No. 60 against Nicaragua Canal Project

This past Thursday, the 60th rally protesting the expropriation of lands under Law 840 was held in El Tule, Rio San Juan. Hundreds of farmers and their families again demanded that the law, which establishes that expropriated lands are to be bought at a land value well below market price, be repealed.

Fenner Lazo, a local farmer, reported that the protesters rallied across one kilometer, leaving from the community of Las Argentinas in the direction of San Carlos. The coordinators of the National Council for the Defense of the Lake and Sovereignty were present.

According to Lazo, the demonstration was without incident or police presence. Protesters at the front of the rallying crowd carried a banner reading: “The people of El Tule and its communities demand respect towards private property and No to the canal.”

Lazo reported that protesters also demanded that “fly-overs by light planes” over the canal route be stopped.

El Tule is a farming area in southern Nicaragua and locals are the hard core of protests against the megaproject promoted by President Daniel Ortega and Chinese entrepreneur Wang Jing, projected to have an estimated cost of $50 billion dollars.

Farmers from communities in El Tule have reported that the San Miguelito city hall has cancelled projects aimed at maintaining roads used to transport farm production.

The rallies organized by the National Council for the Defense of the Lake and Sovereignty have collected signatures in support of the repeal of Law 840, which they plan to present to the National Assembly.

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This article has been translated by Havana Times.

Also read: Poll Shows Declining Expectations on a Nicaragua Canal