Arnoldo Díaz, of the Sugar Cane Producers, expressed that they are grateful because perhaps this season they will not be paying extortion, and that fills them with satisfaction and we are proud to acknowledge to the four winds that they have had the courage to do something that no one had wanted to do.

Another of the sugarcane growers, Joel Bonilla, said he lost two of his bosses who were killed by terrorist gang members.

He said that he has been working sugarcane for 25 years, between his own land and leased land, he worked 800 manzanas, today he works 350, but the rent was high, not more than US$7 or US$8 thousand a year and the gang members were there in the false (fence) waiting, or they would not let the workers load the sugarcane if they did not pay the rent.

Normally in the harvest they harvest 25% green cane, today the green cane will grow because there will be less burning. The easiest thing for the extortionists was to burn our cane fields, the losses are hard.

The sugar cane producers join the transport, dairy importers and coffee growers associations, among other sectors, which affirm that extortion has been notably reduced thanks to the exception regime implemented by this Government.