The Andalusian Workers Union /SAT) has occupied the huge Somonte Estate for the third time
Somonte is a farm of 400 hectares located south of Córdoba in where summer temperatures reach 50C. It houses a handful of labourers, a pen of chickens and several million “wingback” mosquitoes infesting the few areas of shade.
Among the dry fields that extend beyond the horizon, the only landmark is the tower of the ultraq modern Abengoa photovoltaic plant projecting in all directions the sunlight of hundreds of reflective panels concentrated on its tip.
It is not the most advisable place to rest up after a hunger strike of 37 days mixed with more than 70 demonstrations for thr freedom of ANDRÉS BÓDALO and the electoral campaign that led to Diego Cañamero’s election to Congress.
The concentration of land in Andalusia in a few super rich hands is a historical problem aggravated by a Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) that leaves to the recipient states the distribution of aid which in Spain is concentrated on 35.5% of the largest farms.85% of the 1.600 million annual aid remains in the hands of landowners like the House of Alba or the political family of Miguel Arias Canete. Somonte was occupied in 2012 as a form of pressurizing the government to comply with an agreement IU-PSOE in Andalusia, which included the launch of a public land bank that has still never materialized. Paradoxically, thanks to the occupation of Somonte, the Board has received 800,000 euros in four years in agricultural aid.
At this time, members of the SAT, long-term unemployed, tanned in the fight and with many pending court cases for farm occupations, expropriations in supermarkets and strikes, have formed a cooperative which seeks an outlet for the low production generated now in Somonte.
With this money they at least cover transport costs and food to continue the occupation, dreaming between eviction and eviction of being left alone which would givethem the necessary stability to build irrigation ponds and convert Somonte into another Humoso (Marinaleda) that would ease the unemployment the surrounding towns.
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original en castellano
El SAT se atrinchera en Somonte
El Sindicato Andaluz de Trabajadores ha ocupado por tercera vez Somonte en un pulso entre la Andalucía de Susana Díaz y la de Diego Cañamero. Fotos Santi Donaire.
Somonte ocupado pòr tercera vez
Somonte es una finca de 400 hectáreas situada al sur de Córdoba en la que se alcanzan los 50ºC. Alberga un puñado de jornaleros, un corral de gallinas y varios millones de mosquitos “orejeros” que infestan las escasas zonas de sombra.
Entre los campos de secano que se extienden más allá del horizonte, sólo resalta la torre de la central fotovoltaica de última generación de Abengoa que proyecta en todas direcciones la luz solar que cientos de paneles reflectores concentran en su punta.
The Free 