Hundreds of tractors rolled into central Madrid on Wednesday as Spanish farmers staged a large-scale protest against the European Union’s trade agreement with the Mercosur bloc.
Arriving in five convoys from across the country, the demonstrators brought traffic in parts of the capital to a standstill as they moved from Plaza Colón to the Ministry of Agriculture.
Madrid authorities reported that 367 tractors and approximately 2,500 protesters took part in the rally. Banners reading “No to our ruin” and “The Spanish countryside is not for sale” reflected frustration within the agricultural sector.
Miguel Ángel Aguilera, president of the agricultural organisation Unaspi, warned that the deal would have consequences beyond the farming community. He argued that consumers could face lower-quality products, that Spain would risk losing food sovereignty, and that domestic producers would struggle to compete with cheaper imports.
The agreement, signed last month after years of negotiations, is widely opposed by farmers and others who fear it will result in an influx of an extra 99,000 tonnes of cheap beef from Brazil and its neighbours, disrupting European agriculture. They argue that these imports could undercut European producers, who face higher production costs due to stricter environmental and animal welfare regulations.
