Marina Kue, located in Curuguaty, Paraguay, is a place of conflict and tragedy. This 2,000-hectare arable land has become a battleground between the descendants of Paraguay’s former dictator, General Alfredo Stroessner, and the landless peasants who have called it home. The land, known as “Farm No 53”, was part of Stroessner’s controversial land distribution programme. In June 2012, a unit of Special Police Forces surrounded the land to evict 60 families who lived there, leading to a violent clash that resulted in the deaths of 17 people.
Nestor Castro, a small-scale farmer who survived the massacre, vividly remembers the events of that day. He and his fellow peasants were outnumbered and defenseless against the armed police forces. Despite being unarmed, Castro was charged with instigating the massacre and spent five years in prison before being released in 2017. The official responsibility for the tragedy has been unfairly placed on the shoulders of the landless peasants, who continue to seek justice.
The events at Marina Kue are a stark reminder of the legacy of Stroessner’s dictatorship in Paraguay. His land colonisation programme enriched his supporters while leaving the landless peasants marginalized and vulnerable. The progressive hopes brought by President Fernando Lugo’s administration were shattered by the Curuguaty massacre, which was used as a pretext by the political right to halt reforms and push for the expansion of genetically modified crops.
The story of Marina Kue and the Curuguaty massacre is a tragic chapter in Paraguay’s history, marked by violence, injustice, and the struggle of the landless peasants for their rights and dignity.