Environmental Justice

Stop illegal land occupation in Paraguay
8 July 2013

Unknown individuals are illegally occupying and deforesting protected land in the small rural community of Luz Bella. The Paraguayan authorities could stop this but are not taking action.

In fact, they are part of the problem.

Protected by law

The community carefully manages and legally owns the land, which is a forest reserve. However, INDERT, the government agency responsible for issuing land titles, has allowed the reserve to be illegally occupied.

Because the community already owns the land INDERT should not allocate new plots in the area. The new occupiers have already begun to destroy the forest.

Empowered and active

Community leaders from Luz Bella have repeatedly requested that the authorities act to end the destruction. But they have failed to do so. If the authorities do not respond, more of the reserve will be lost.

Much of Paraguay's biodiversity has already been lost through deforestation linked to large-scale cattle and soy farming.

Take action

Your international pressure will encourage the Government of Paraguay to act. Please act now in support of Luz Bella and ask the Paraguayan authorities to return the land to the community of Luz Bella and end this environmental injustice.

Sobrevivencia (Friends of the Earth Paraguay) has asked that appeals be sent to four targets in Paraguay - the Minister for the Environment, the head of the agency responsible for issuing land titles, the National Forestry Institute and the environmental branch of the Public Prosecutor's office.

Sobrevivencia believes this will create the most effective pressure. Please send your letters to all four if possible. Thank you.

A suggested text for your letters is provided in Spanish with an English translation.

Please email the Paraguayan authorities

Excelencia,

Me dirijo a usted, por la presente carta, para expresar mi preocupación por la ocupación ilegal de la reserva natural de la Colonia de Luz Bella, Distrito de Guayaibí, Departamento de San Pedro. Espero que como titular de esta cartera pueda intervenir con todos los recursos que estén a su alcance para llegar a una solución justa y pacífica. La comunidad de Luz Bella fue establecida entre 1972 y 1973 aproximadamente y obtuvo mediante ley 1290 de 1998 una expropiación a su favor que le ha dado carácter formal al área denominada por la comunidad como eco-urbanística, la misma representa una parte importante de la comunidad. Desde su establecimiento hace casi 40 años muchas de las familias de Luz Bella han cultivado sus tierras con un énfasis en la agricultura sustentable y predominantemente orgánica. En estos momentos, en la Colonia de Luz Bella un área de tierras protegidas que se considera como bosque protector conforme resolución SFN 0237/99, del Servicio Forestal Nacional, actual Instituto Forestal Nacional está siendo ocupada y deforestada por personas cuya identidad es desconocida, a pesar de estar protegida dicha reserva por varias disposiciones legales, entre ellas: la ley 3663 del 2008 que prohíbe en la región oriental las actividades de transformación y conversión de superficies con cobertura de bosques modificación de la ley 2.524/04 Arts. 2º Y 3º y por la Ley 4.241 del 2010 y su decreto reglamentario 9824 del 2012. El Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Rural y de la Tierra (INDERT) de la administración del Abogado Luis Ortigoza ha sido favorable a pedidos de los ocupantes ilegales de la reserva en cuanto al reconocimiento de los mismos, en un expediente que se tramitaba por separado, mientras se deforestaba la zona, y si bien, por fortuna, el expediente que contiene el pedido de los ocupantes ya ha sido anexado al expediente principal 1804/89 del INDERT, la preocupación de la comunidad de Luz Bella es grande porque la deforestación continua. Ante estos hechos los Representantes de la Asociación Campesina de Productores Alternativos y Ecológicos de Luz Bella (ACPAE-LB) han hecho repetidos reclamos a la Fiscalía del Ambiente, a la Secretaría del Ambiente, al Instituto de desarrollo rural y de la tierra y al Instituto Forestal Nacional, demostrando con documentos la ocupación y destrucción actuales. Sin embargo, las acciones de estas instituciones no han detenido la deforestación en el sitio mencionado. La comunidad es legítima ocupante de las tierras tal como lo reconoce el INDERT y las ha gestionado durante más de 20 años, ejecutando en dichas tierras un plan de desarrollo Eco-urbanístico sustentable, a pesar de las numerosas amenazas que sufre la zona. Si las comunidades del Paraguay han de desarrollar prácticas agrícolas sustentables, como lo viene haciendo la Comunidad de Luz Bella y si coincidimos en que es necesario prevenir daños ambientales y pérdida de la biodiversidad en el Paraguay, antes que reparar lo dañado, es esencial que las leyes socio-ambientales sean cumplidas. Le solicito de forma urgente asegurar que la institución a su cargo coordine acciones inmediatas con las autoridades de aplicación de leyes pertinentes y de tal manera se tomen todas las medidas necesarias salvaguardar el territorio que está siendo vulnerado en la comunidad de Luz Bella. Atentamente, Text of letter in English Dear Sir, I am writing to express my concern at a case of illegal occupation of a natural reserve that is currently taking place in the community of Luz Bella, in Guayaibí district, San Pedro Department. I hope that you will be able to intervene with all the resources at your disposal to reach a peaceful and fair solution. The community of Luz Bella was established between 1972 and 1973. In 1998 through Law 1290 it obtained some land that had been expropriated to formally establish the community's "eco-urbanistic zone", representing a large proportion of their territory. Since its establishment 40 years ago, many of the families in Luz Bella have cultivated their lands with an emphasis on sustainable, predominantly organic farming. At present, an area of protected land in Luz Bella, falling under the "protecting forests" denomination in Resolution SFN 0237/99 of the National Forestry Service (now National Forestry Institute, INFONA), is being occupied and trees are being cut by individuals whose identity is not known. This area also derives protection from among others, Law 3663 (2008) "Prohibiting in the Oriental region activities that transform or convert forested areas", modifying Articles 2 and 3 of Law 2524/04, and by Law 4241 (2010) and its Regulatory Decree 9824 (2012). The Instituto Nacional de Desarrollo Rural y de la Tierra (National Institute for Rural and Land Development, INDERT), recognised demands by the illegal occupiers of the natural reserve made in a separate file, while tree felling was occuring. Fortunately, this file has now been annexed to the main file, INDERT case No. 1804/89. However, the community of Luz Bella remains seriously concerned that deforestation is continuing. Given this situation, representatives of the Asociación Campesina de Productores Alternativos y Ecológicos de Luz Bella (ACPAELB) have made repeated approaches to the Fiscalía del Ambiente (Environmental branch of the Public Prosecutor's Office), to the Ministry for the Environment (SEAM), to INDERT and the National Forestry Institute showing the documented continuing occupation and deforestation of the area. Despite this, no actions by these institutions have been able to stop tree felling in the reserve. The community is the legitimate occupant of the lands, as recognised by INDERT, and has managed them for over 20 years, establishing a sustainable eco-urbanistic development plan, despite the great number of environmental threats the area is under. If communities in Paraguay are to develop sustainable agricultural practices, as the community of Luz Bella has been doing, and if we agree that environmental damage and biodiversity loss are to be prevented in Paraguay, it is essential that - before repairing the damage - socio-environmental regulations are adhered to. We urge you as a matter of urgency to ensure that your Office coordinates immediate actions with the appropriate authorities in charge of applying the relevant legislation to take all necessary steps to protect the territories that are being damaged in the community of Luz Bella. Yours sincerely,

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