Rural Youth Demand Global Change at Central American Congress

CLOC-LVC Youth Assert Power Amidst “Civilizing Crisis”

Young people from rural and indigenous communities across Central America have coalesced, voicing urgent demands for justice and systemic change. Meeting at a Regional Youth Camp, they declared their intent to confront environmental devastation and economic inequality, asserting their role in building “popular peasant power.”

Denouncing Dispossession and Violence

The assembled youth issued a strong condemnation of the systematic dispossession of their lands and territories. They attribute this exploitation to transnational corporations and local elites, aided by what they describe as “neoliberal governments” administering capital’s interests. This process, they argue, exacerbates inequality and violates the rights of young people.

Specific accusations were leveled against governments in Guatemala and El Salvador for the criminalization and repression of youth leaders. In Honduras, private entities, with alleged U.S. backing, are blamed for promoting violence and land seizures, fueling youth migration.

Furthermore, the group denounced the forceful suppression of legitimate protests in Panama against extractive industries, which they claim criminalizes territorial defenders. They also criticized the capitalist model’s expulsion of youth from rural areas, which they say dismantles community structures and commodifies life.

Solidarity with Palestine, Call for Agrarian Reform

The youth expressed profound solidarity with the Palestinian people, demanding an immediate cessation of violence in Gaza. They framed the Palestinian struggle as intrinsically linked to their own fight against imperialism and for self-determination.

A central tenet of their declaration is the assertion that “Comprehensive and Popular Agrarian Reform is not a utopia, but a historical and political necessity.” They view this as the pathway to social justice, food sovereignty, and lasting peace.

Demands for Policy and Protection

The CLOC-LVC youth are demanding clear, responsive public policies that address the specific needs of rural and indigenous youth, free from undue influence. They called for concrete mechanisms to monitor and enforce existing legal frameworks that protect human rights.

Their demands aim to counteract the insecurity, unemployment, criminalization, and forced migration currently affecting young people in their territories. The group emphasized the critical role of youth in shaping regional and continental struggles for a more just and equitable world.

“Without the rural countryside, there is no city. Without youth, there is no future!” they proclaimed, underscoring the vital importance of their participation.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), rural youth unemployment rates are often significantly higher than national averages, highlighting the systemic challenges these communities face (FAO).