In Nicaragua, a company dedicated to the production of passion fruit which planned to invest $20 million in the coming years, reported that last weekend armed groups invaded their land.

The Swiss origin company, Chimaco S.A., reported that the demo facility located at kilometer 124.5 of the highway between Chinandega and León was taken over by armed groups who prevented investors from entering.

The complaint raised by the agricultural company, comes after a report of twenty-five productive properties that have been invaded since the crisis began in mid-April, which together total 5,500 manzanas of land, of which 43% correspond to agricultural crops, and another 44% to livestock production.

In relation to the illegal taking over of the property, company representative, Juan Fernando Ramírez, told Elnuevodiario.com.ni that ” … the demo plot of passion fruit has been taken over by hooded and armed people, who have put plastic shacks in place and have not allowed investors access.“

Ramírez detailed that “ … last Saturday, ‘three trucks arrived and a truck full of armed hooded people evicted four caretakers of the property (belonging to the businessman Coen), the guard of the project, and took over the offices and warehouses’.“

The affected company announced last March that it plans to invest $20 million in the next two years in the production of passion fruit and guava in Nicaragua, and among the planned investments was the construction of a processing plant.

See the history of the crisis affecting Nicaragua.