Committee on External Relations to send representatives to Paraguay

The Senate’s Committee on External Relations and National Defense approved, on Thursday (9), the creation of an external temporary committee to cope with the crisis involving Brazilian rural producers rooted in Paraguay, also called Brasiguayos and the Paraguayan landless, known as carperos.

The group formed by five parliamentarians is going to visit the Legislative House and members of the government of the neighboring country, in an attempt to solve the conflict, which has been intensified over the past weeks. Paraguayans accused Brazilians of having acquired land in a fraudulent way and reclaim the property of the sites.

Brasiguayos are descendants from the first settlers that 40 years ago went to the neighboring country. Currently, they are more than three hundred thousand people, many of which were born in Paraguay and have double nationality. They complain that the Paraguayan government does not take measures to prevent invasions and they also claim that the police do not carry out injunctions to withdraw the invaders.

The committee’s chairman, senator Fernando Collor, warned about the importance of a solution to the conflicts and recalled he had invited settlers’ representatives for a public hearing to be held on February 27. The hearing will integrate the cycle of debates on the Brazilian foreign policy, which has been promoted by the committee.

The request for the creation of the external committee was signed by senators Sergio Souza (PT-PR), Mozarildo Cavalcanti (PTB-RR) and Ana Amélia (PP-RS).