For a fair CAP and against Mercosur: a large tractor protest will once again put tensions in Zaragoza this Friday

January 23rd. Another date that will be hard to forget in Aragon. And not only because of the political chaos that has been brewing since Friday in the election campaign leading up to February 8th, but also because of a 
new outcry from the Aragonese countryside . The Agricultural Professional Organizations (OPAs) – UAGA, ASAJA, ARAGA, and UPA – are leading a new tractor protest that aims to reach the heart of Zaragoza and demand a fair Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), as well as express their disagreement with the European Union’s agreement with Mercosur, a pact that is now being challenged in court and will be delayed, at least for a while.

The protests began early this morning. As planned, the main columns of tractors entered Zaragoza around 9:00 a.m. , with staggered entry points throughout the city. Avenida Pirineos is the main access route, from the north of the city and through the Actur district. Other columns are arriving from the south via the Castellón road and the Third Ring Road. From there, according to the agricultural organizations, the largest group will advance throughout the morning towards the city center, crossing the Santiago Bridge , continuing along Paseo Echegaray y Caballero, and then heading up towards the historic center via San Vicente de Paúl Street.

The first stop is planned at the Department of Agriculture of the Government of Aragon, in Plaza San Pedro Nolasco. From there, the march will continue to Paseo Independencia , where participants will leave their tractors to begin a walking demonstration around 11:00 a.m. The main event of the day will take place after midday.

At 1:00 p.m., a manifesto will be read in Plaza del Pilar, next to the Government Delegation building. Later in the afternoon, starting at 3:00 p.m., the march will resume its route from Paseo Independencia towards María Agustín, passing through Plaza Aragón, Paseo Pamplona, ​​and Puerta del Carmen. The final destination will be the Aljafería Palace, the seat of the Aragonese Parliament.

THE GOAL WAS TO PREVENT THE START OF THE CAMPAIGN

It’s worth remembering that the protest, initially planned for Wednesday, was postponed to Friday after the organizations joined in mourning the tragic train accident in Adamuz, Córdoba, which claimed the lives of 45 people. The objective, however, remains unchanged: to highlight what the sector defines as a “critical” situation and to convey its demands directly to the authorities.

Among the demands, as they have been making in recent times, the agricultural unions are expressing their disagreement on January 23rd with the signing of the European free trade agreement with Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, and Paraguay, and denouncing their use as political bargaining chips. They also condemn the reduction of CAP funds contemplated in the next multiannual plan (up to 20%), as well as the excessive bureaucracy for farmers and the lack of competitive farmgate prices.

A PROTEST THAT ALSO INVOLVES THE CONSUMER

At the same time, in the days leading up to the protest, emphasis has been placed on the importance of involving not only producers but also consumers, who are also directly affected by the sector’s decline. ” We hope for an alliance from society. It affects the agricultural sector but also consumers in terms of the quality of their food ,” summarized UAGA’s Secretary General, José María Alcubierre, who explained that the protest’s slogan is “Let’s defend our countryside and your food.” “We want to fill Zaragoza with tractors. We have no other choice. We are an aging sector, and our numbers are dwindling,” Alcubierre concluded.

AEGA, WITHOUT PERMISSION TO CUT THE AP-2

Another key issue of the day involves the role played by AEGA , Aragón Es Ganadería y Agricultura (Aragon is Livestock and Agriculture), an organization that emerged in 2024 to distance itself from professional agricultural unions. This Thursday, the Government Delegation prohibited the planned blockades of the AP-2 highway by AEGA on Friday and Saturday, citing incompatibilities that could generate “serious safety problems.”

AEGA denounced “pressure and excessive harassment” from the administration and has given its members absolute freedom to mobilize “as they see fit.” “Since February 8th (2024), when we emerged, we have seen pressure from institutions in every way. We didn’t think they would prohibit us from blocking a highway. 
We have tried to follow legal channels, but they won’t approve it. Our interest is not in impeding safety, but in doing something visible to show our frustration with the Mercosur agreement or the cuts to the CAP,” said AEGA President Paco Latorre, when questioned by ARAGÓN PRESS/ARAGÓN DIGITAL on Thursday afternoon.