San Juan Farmers Protest Over Claimed $500 Million Government Debt

More than 200 agricultural tractors were stationed outside the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo (UASD) campus in San Juan as farmers from San Juan and Elías Piña began a protest over what they describe as more than 500 million pesos in unpaid obligations from the government.

The vigil began at 6 a.m. Tuesday and has affected traffic along the road connecting San Juan with Santo Domingo. The machinery reportedly stretches for about 1.5 kilometers, while participating farmers say they will keep the tractors in place until they receive a response from government authorities.

Farmers Say Unpaid Bills Are Disrupting Production

Robin Alcántara, president of the agricultural producers’ network known as Red Agropecuaria, said the payment delays have caused financial problems for several farmers. According to Alcántara, some producers have lost their tractors after commercial lenders or suppliers repossessed the equipment because of unpaid obligations.

Other farmers, he said, have been forced to suspend agricultural work because they lack the funds needed to prepare their land and continue production. The claims underline the financial pressure that unpaid agricultural contracts and supply obligations can place on producers whose operations depend on seasonal access to machinery and working capital.

The producers say the outstanding amount dates back to 2021 and involves several types of agricultural activity. They identify payments for land preparation, the sale of bean seeds to the Ministry of Agriculture and compensation related to onion production among the obligations they are seeking to collect.

Producers Cite Previous Meetings With Officials

Alcántara said a group of producers met with President Luis Abinader on June 15. According to the farmers’ account, the president requested 10 days to seek a solution to the claims.

The producers later met with Comptroller General Geraldo Espinosa Pérez, who they say requested three weeks to review documentation concerning the alleged debts. The farmers now contend that more than three months have passed since those meetings without the payments they are demanding being made.

The claims have not been independently detailed in the information provided for the protest, and the farmers’ stated total of more than 500 million pesos represents the amount they say remains outstanding. The protest centers on their demand for the authorities to review the obligations and provide a resolution.

Tractors Remain On Road As Protest Continues

The demonstration includes members of the Red Agropecuaria, the Association of Producers of the San Juan Valley and organizations representing tractor and agricultural machinery owners from San Juan and Elías Piña.

The groups have said the vigil will remain peaceful and that they will not remove the machinery until the Ministry of Agriculture and the Presidency respond to their demands. The presence of the tractors has already caused traffic disruptions on one of the main routes linking the southwestern province of San Juan with Santo Domingo.

The dispute now leaves the producers waiting for a response from the authorities over the payments they say have remained unresolved since 2021, while the continued protest is affecting transportation along the regional corridor.