2023-09-16 07:10:36
The good time between Gustavo Petro and the ranchers seems to have come to an end: while the president accuses them of promoting paramilitarism, Fedegán’s associates accuse him of implementing “express expropriation” and the invasion of private property.
All this, of course, mediated by a complex relationship between the head of state and José Félix Lafaurie, a right-wing man who has been the president of the National Federation of Livestock Farmers for the last two decades and who, surprisingly, ended up allied to this Left government in two of Petro’s most important political banners: total peace and agrarian reform.
Will agreements be broken?
After a full year of this “reluctant” collaboration and several barbs from both sides, Petro crossed a limit that he had respected in recent months and that has to do with the direct link of these businessmen with paramilitarism.
According to the head of state, the recent scandal of soldiers who intimidated a community in Tierralta, Córdoba, disguised as FARC dissidents, could have been the idea of what he called the “landowners,” a rarely used term that refers to ranchers and landowners.
“Those who gave the order for these events are because they want the landowners to become paramilitaries again. That is to say, for us to repeat this history (…) they should not be stupid about that,” said the head of state.
In fact, the Government hinted that the Army could be acting in the same way in other regions and wondered who is giving them the order. The latter is somewhat paradoxical because he is precisely the head of state and as president he is the top commander of the country’s Armed Forces.
“Don’t forget, President, that you are the boss now and you should not ask for explanations, but rather give them to us,” chirped a netizen in X.
But, not content with that, Petro made an even more specific reference to Lafaurie and Fedegán, as he assured that those ranchers “had sent a letter out there, saying that they should organize the brigades, because they could not be allowed to organize the peasantry.” That reference has to do with another battle front that has been in dispute for the last two weeks.
The first to provoke a reaction was the Government, from which a decree was promoted that urged farmers to “mobilize” in favor of agrarian reform throughout the country.
You may be interested in: The controversy over the decree prepared by the MinAgricultura on agrarian processes and domain extinction
In response, Fedegán released an internal statement in which he called on the members to resume the “solidarity brigades” that the union has criticized so much but which, according to them, is a “peaceful exercise to accompany the authorities in exercising their duty to protect private property.”
These “brigades” became famous at the time of invasions of large properties by victims, peasants and even armed groups and consisted of a series of groups of ranchers who came to defend the properties of their companions.
Since then, both the Government and multiple sectors accused them of promoting the return of the self-defense groups.
And this time it was the same: “Fedegán must clarify whether these communications that reach its members come from its management. Neither more nor less are they an invitation to paramilitarism,” Petro said, challenging the Federation to recognize whether those communications were his.
Finally, and honoring the front-line spirit that Lafaurie has shown, the president of Fedegán ended by saying that he was the author of those invitations to form solidarity brigades and that his commitment is to “defend the interests of ranchers,” he said.
There will be a breakup
But, beyond the personal discussions and the figure of Lafaurie in the Government that helps Petro demonstrate a certain convergence with the right, the truth is that the breakdown of that union could put the peace negotiation with the ELN in trouble. and the sale of land for agrarian reform, two points in which the president of Fedegán is key.
Read also: “As long as they are kidnapping, I don’t think the Government will give them resources”: Lafaurie on the ELN’s request to finance them
Even so, Lafaurie seemed calm and willing to continue collaborating with the Government in both directions.
In dialogue with EL COLOMBIANO, he assured that Fedegán will continue selling his lands to expedite the goals of the agrarian reform as they have been doing for the last five months. “I have a contract signed with the Government and I will honor it until the Government wants me to,” he said.
And he answered the same thing about whether he has thought about the possibility of resigning his position as a negotiator with that guerrilla, where he insisted that it is the head of state who has the last word: “the day he believes that I am not conditions or that I cannot provide the services that serve the table, you have every right to tell me to step aside,” he insisted.
But, be careful, the president of the Federation was clear that the statements did not go down well with the associates he represents and assured that “If he is willing to make such delicate assertions that may have legal implications, I hope he has evidence.” ”.
For now, the unthinkable relationship that Petro and the ranchers have managed to maintain during the first year of the Government remains on a tightrope despite the intention of the president and Lafaurie to remain on good terms. “Don José Félix has good intentions and is patient, but many ranchers are tired of this almost since it started,” concluded one of the regional leaders of the Federation.
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