Farmers who do not negotiate with the Government show muscle in the capital and continue protests: "We no longer believe this minister"

Cristina Alonso Madrid

Madrid

Updated Wednesday, February 21, 2024-19:29

The tractors have hit the asphalt again. This time, in Madrid, in what has been the largest gathering of those held so far in the capital. Thousands of farmers and hundreds of tractor drivers have responded to the call of the

Union of Unions

, the fourth professional organization by representativeness in the sector, which does not sit down to negotiate with the Government at the table that it keeps open with the three main associations (

Asaja, Coag and UPA

), but which has shown great power to attract people during this Wednesday's event.

From early in the morning, hundreds of farmers gathered in the Plaza de la Independencia, around Madrid's Puerta de Alcalá. Up to

1,500 tractors were scheduled to arrive there in five columns

, according to the organizers. Although the Government delegation had only authorized 500. The rest were blocked by the State security forces and bodies at the different entrances to the capital. Unión de Uniones speaks of 900 tractors "imprisoned", while the Government delegation in Madrid puts them at just 150.

The tractors arrived at Independence Square after noon. They were received with applause by the thousands of protesters who by that time had already arrived in 200 buses, but also by many Madrid citizens who came to show their support for the workers in the primary sector. With the sound of horns, horns and cowbells and the smell of diesel in the background, little by little dozens of tractor drivers, and even some oxen, were occupying the square in which they had to wait for the order to begin the road to the next destination: the

Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

, just a couple of kilometers away, in front of the Atocha station.

The Government Delegation had planned for the protest to take place along Alfonso XII Street, but the organization wanted to access Paseo del Prado through Cibeles. At that point, the tension between the protesters and the National Police officers

increased

until it ended in police charges to prevent the march from leaving the authorized route. The

state coordinator of the Unión de Uniones, Luis Cortés

, was involved in the charges

, who suffered minor injuries. In conversation with EL MUNDO, Cortés encouraged the tractor unit to go to the Ministry of Agriculture through the authorized route.

"We don't want to be savages, the attempt had to be made and it was done

," he stated.

At the doors of the Ministry

Already at the doors of the Ministry, where the organization managed to bring up to thirty tractors, the spokesperson for the Union of Unions stated that the head of the portfolio,

Luis Planas

, who maintains an open negotiation table with the three main agricultural organizations of the that are not part, "has no credibility whatsoever. "We no longer believe this minister," he assured. "We only believe in what comes out on Monday from the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers and, depending on what is approved,

we will announce a new calendar of mobilizations

," he warned.

The question of representativeness is not trivial. After three weeks of mobilizations across the map, associations outside of the "self-proclaimed representative" ones - as reported by these smaller organizations - have demonstrated great power of convocation. Not only Unión de Uniones this Wednesday in the capital, but also other

platforms such as 6F

. For this reason, the organization calling for the large demonstration in the center of Madrid is demanding the holding of agrarian elections to vote for their representatives and have dialogue with the Government.

"Mr. Minister, take a bath in reality, here is the real field

," they demanded at the doors of the Ministry.

The minister, by the way, had starred in an unusual scene early in the morning, when in full response during the Government control session in the Congress of Deputies he suffered dizziness.

"I had vertigo,"

he explained after sitting on the bench and taking a breath. These have been difficult weeks for the head of Agriculture, who has been under pressure since the rural protests began, as the minister himself acknowledged upon leaving the chamber.

"I am perfectly and fully active, the only problem is that I am overactive

," he admitted in statements to journalists.

During his appearance at this Wednesday's session, Planas assured that the majority organization of the countryside, Asaja, did not support the mobilization of farmers this Wednesday in Madrid. But immediately the association released a statement in which it asked the minister to

"stop entangling and confronting the farmers and ranchers of this country

. "

"This organization wants to deny the greatest and reminds the minister that all demonstrations by farmers and ranchers that are carried out peacefully have the maximum respect and support of Asaja, whether or not they are convened by this organization," stated the agricultural center.

The ball, in the EU

For his part, the President of the Government,

Pedro Sánchez

, showed from Morocco his "maximum empathy" with the demands of the countryside, which he considers "fair and which, obviously, need a response from the European Commission." Thus, he avoided commenting on the demonstration held in Madrid and announced that this Wednesday he sent a letter to the president of the European Commission,

Ursula von der Leyen

, to address these demands, "particularly all those referring to the reduction of bureaucracy." , but not only, but also to have those mirror clauses with those other regions with which we trade.

But for the farmers who were protesting at the doors of the Ministry of Agriculture, arriving from different autonomous communities, it is not enough. Javier García, a farmer from Piedrahíta, in Ávila, denounced it in conversation with this newspaper. "

We ask for fair prices because we cannot compete against products from third countries

that compete unfairly, but above all against the 2030 Agenda, which includes restrictive environmental regulations that attack farmers and ranchers.

In Spain there are many restrictions also at the national level

, skipping what comes from Europe. We are going to be here until they listen to us," he warned.

The protesters charged against Luis Planas, but also against the Minister of Ecological Transition,

Teresa Ribera

, for her environmental policies. "Maybe another day we'll have to go see her," they warned. Insults were also heard against the President of the Government and even against the Minister of the Interior,

Fernando Grande-Marlaska

. On the banners, the usual slogans demanding fair prices and solutions for the primary sector, and warning that our food depends on their work. In the background, the horns of tractors, the smell of diesel, horns and cowbells. All of this, under the careful surveillance of a large police force and accompanied by even oxen treading the asphalt of the capital.