On Tuesday, indigenous and farmers’ organisations marched in the capital of Guatemala to demand the repeal of a new law which grants breeders exclusive rights over new plant varieties. The “Law for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants” was adopted by Congress on June 26 as a requirement of the Free Trade Agreement between Central America, Dominican Republic and the United States signed in 2005. Indigenous peoples and peasants protested in front of the Parliament and announced a legal appeal to the Constitutional Court. The law, which will enter into force on September 26, was dubbed “Monsanto Law” in reference to the corporation which is dedicated to developing new genetically modified crops. According to the Latin American Coordination of Rural Organisations (CLOC), the law threatens the Guatemalan people who live from agriculture and have been protecting their native seeds for thousands of years. It allows patents on new plant varieties and will initially be applied to varieties that are based on genetic elements of 15 crops, including corn. Within a ten year term, however, patents can be extended to all grains and vegetables. Farmers and indigenous communities are especially concerned about article 50 of the law, which foresees prison terms of up to four years and a fine of 10,000 quetzales for the reproduction of patented seeds. They fear that Monsanto could be the main beneficiary and distribute genetically modified seeds across the country. “Why are transnationals gaining control of our food, our food safety and sovereignty? This is something we will defend as a people”, Mash Mash, a member of Consejo de Pueblos de Occidente”, told Telesur. Farmer Magdalena Alvarado said: “This law affects us and all communities of the Mayan people because we grow corn, beans, and vegetables without contamination, everything is organic. We eat a lot of corn.” Activists criticise the government for approving the law without a social discussion while the public was distracted during the FIFA 2014 World Cup.