Private land law leads to clashes between police and indigenous groups in Paraguay

Conflict erupted between indigenous groups and the Paraguayan government after Congress ratified a controversial bill increasing jail sentences for those who invade private property to up to 10 years. In Asunción, seven policemen were injured as protestors shot arrows and threw sticks and stones, while at least two protestors were wounded by rubber bullets and several cars were torched.

Protestors had given President Mario Abdo Benítez a 48-hour ultimatum to veto the law, but the head of state ratified the legislation one day after it had obtained congressional approval. “We had been analyzing the proposal for a long time,” said cabinet head Hernán Huttemann, when asked about the speed of Mr. Abdo’s decision.

The law modifies article 142 of Paraguay’s criminal code, which set a maximum penalty of five years in prison for invading private property and offered “alternative sanctions” to the crime. In its new version, punishment ranges from six years to a maximum of 10 in cases of “violence or property damage.”

Indigenous groups argue the bill represents “yet another tool to impose silence through terror and fear,” facilitating evictions that constitute “the final step in the robbery of indigenous lands.”

The law represents a complete turnaround...