Northern Integrated Rice Farmers ratify a 24-hour strike in rejection of government intervention | Arroceros del Norte Integrado ratifican paro de 24 horas en rechazo a intervención del Gobierno

By Ariel Melgar Cabrera, Soledad Prado, El Deber:

The work stoppage will begin at midnight this Wednesday. The measure taken by the rice mills was decided on Tuesday during a meeting of Ingenor members.

Producción de arroz / Foto: Fuad Landívar
Rice production / Photo: Fuad Landívar

The Association of Rice Mills of the Northern Integrated Region (Ingenor) in Santa Cruz ratified a 24-hour work stoppage on Tuesday night in protest against the Prosecutor’s Office’s intervention in the mills last week.

The decision to halt activities in the rice mills was made during a meeting held by Ingenor members on Tuesday. Additionally, producers from Santa Cruz and Beni were called upon to adopt further measures to oppose the Prosecutor’s Office’s intervention on December 6.

“The government’s actions have caused dissatisfaction and the productive sector feels attacked. This is an injustice, which is why Ingenor is on strike starting at midnight,” said Jimmy Prado, president of Ingenor. He added that various sectors are supporting the protest.

Prado expressed regret that the government’s actions have affected not only those in Santa Cruz but also families from other regions working in northern Santa Cruz. “People from Cochabamba, Oruro, Potosí, and La Paz who work in Montero are impacted, and that is concerning,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Sonia Rocha, Ingenor’s Secretary of Finance, stated in an interview with EL DEBER Radio that around 30 out of 140 mills still have rice in stock. She mentioned that the rice in her mill would only last for one week. Montero is regarded by rice producers as the national hub for the storage and distribution of rice, she explained.

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