Small farmers Photo: Pablo Figueroa – Infobae Colombia
The legislative act recognizing the Peasantry as a legal subject was approved in its last of eight debates Congress of the Republic. The text had 149 yes votes and zero no votes after the debate in the plenary session of the House of Representatives.
What this initiative does is Amend Article 64 of the Political Constitutionto which would be added the mention that “the peasantry is a political subject with rights and special protection” and that “Farming communities have a special relationship with the land that is based on food production“.
The latter, “in the spirit of food security and sovereignty, in harmony with the peasant economy, family farms (…) improve the productivity of their crops, the technologies for their transformation and the marketing strategies that allow added value to their products.” the protection of Environment, as well as shared traditions and customs that distinguish them from other social groups,” the approved text reads.
Although the change in text is minor, it represents a major step forward for the country’s peasant movement, which has been demanding this recognition for years. That’s how he recognized it Diogenes Quintero, Spokesperson coordinator of the project and representative of the Peace Seats for the Special Peace Circumscription (CITREP) for Catatumbo, Norte de Santander:
“We did it, from today the farmers have new rights and special protection. In the last debate, the plenum of the chamber unanimously approved the legislative act that recognizes the peasantry as a political subject with rights and special protection of the constitution.”
In the House of Representatives plenary session, Minister of Agriculture Jennifer Mojica supported the project of a legislative act recognizing the Colombian peasantry as a subject of rights and special protections. @MinAgricultura/Twitter
the interior minister, Luis Fernando Velasco, also referred to the decision of the chamber: “In its last debate of the second round, the plenum of the chamber unanimously approved the legislative act recognizing the peasantry as a special subject of the protection of the constitution.” Win the peasantry. A historic advance that allows us, as a government of change, to lay the groundwork to settle a longstanding debt to our territories.”
Now the draft legislative act approved by the Congress of the Republic must go to arbitration, then it will go to constitutional review and will be ready for presidential sanction.
The assemblyman Edward Sarmiento, of the Historic Pact, indicated that hard work is now ahead to ensure basic services such as “water, health, education, connectivity” to this population. He also reiterated that the passage of the legislative act “is one of many steps that must be taken for the peasantry”.
“The legislative act recognizing the peasantry as a political subject was unanimously approved. This means that farmers now have rights and special protections for the constitution,” said the representative of the Huila Chamber. Leyla Rincon.
This is how the peasant movement celebrated in the @CamaraColombia grandstand as the plenary unanimously passed the bill recognizing Colombian peasants as legal subjects. #GanaElCampesinado today and we’re making history. @MinAgricultura/Twitter
“For decades, farmers have been degraded, discriminated against and forgotten. Now the constitution and the law protect and guarantee the political rights of farmers,” said the representative. Karen Manrique.
“In the government of Gustavo Petro and Francia Márquez, the peasantry is recognized as a subject with rights and special protections. After many years, we can finally say today that we are recognized in the constitution,” exclaimed the farmer’s senator. Robert Daza.
The draft legislative act recognizing the peasantry as a legal entity aims to do this The state guarantees this population the right to civic participationAnd will ensure their individual and collective rightsincluding those recognized in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Farmers and Other People Working in Rural Areas.