Argentine farmers strike again

Thousands of Argentine farmers went on strike today over tax increases on food exports. Protesting farmers have withheld crops and blocked the progress of trucks as the end came to a 30-day truce created after a previous strike. That stoppage lasted three weeks and led to food shortages throughout Argentina.

Government officials have equated the farmers’ actions with “extortion” and called the strike “irresponsible.” Rural leader Alfredo De Angeli disagreed:

“We want to seriously negotiate and not to be teased or told one thing and then take that back” he said. “The only thing (the government) does is fool the people, yet the people believe in us and ask that we do not weaken our position.” - [ed. personal translation]

Image- CNN (Argentine farmers protesting against the government in March)

Sources (English)- Guardian UK, Bloomberg, The Latin Americanist

Sources (Spanish)- Clarin