Guatemalan peasant farmers demand approval of agricultural bill

With a demonstration at the Guatemalan congress, peasant farmers rejected the decision of the legislators who, once again, failed to approve the Integral Agricultural Development Law. After intense lobbying with the congressmen during the past few weeks and with the promise of approval, the organizations found a closed Congress. The Integral Agricultural Development Law provides small farmers access to credits so they can obtain their own land and cultivate it. However, the country's large agribusiness associations reject the law and accept its approval only if it includes their own amendments that do not at all modify the peasant farmers' situation, according to indigenous organizations. teleSUR