Peasants rise up, once again, against the discharge of waste in water wells

Featured image: flags of the LCP and Palestine in a peasant camp. Source: AND

On January 19, as reported by the newspaper A Nova Democracia from Brazil, the peasants of the municipality of Jaquira-PE prevented the discharge of toxic spills into a water well.

The peasants, organized by LCP, received the warning that the company Agropecuária Mata Sul S/A was preparing to use toxic pouring from their industry in the water wells close to the lands of the peasants and the start of the river. These wells are used by farmers for water consumption and the toxic discharge would mean water poisoning.

When the peasant commission arrived at the scene, they found two workers of the company and the drone spraying the pouring. The peasants began to demand that they leave and recorded it on video. Shortly after, goons arrived at the service of the latifundium to prevent the just peasant struggle. However, the peasants did not retreat and continued demanding that the pouring of toxic waste be stopped, launched fireworks and waved flags. Thus, they got the goons at the service of the latifundium out, but not before photographing the peasants who participated.

Goons at the service of the latifundium harassing peasants. Source: AND

This attempt of poisoning is not random. On December 19, 2023, the peasants performed an act in the Frei Caneca Private Natural Heritage Reserve (a type of false “nature reserve” that under environmental appearance, grabs the lands of peasants and then gives it to the latifundium), belonging to the latifundium company. In this act, the expulsion of the delegation formed by the big landlord Guilherme Maranhao, a “hidden” partner and owner of Agropécuaria Mata Sul and representative of the Yankee NGO “Save Brazil”, and of the goons, was sought. On that occasion, it was sought to formalize the transfer of the environmental reserve to the Yankee NGO, which would mean the expulsion of peasant families living and working on the land.

On January 8, the company denied having poured any toxic waste into the water. But before the large number of remains of biological animal products (urine and feces) that were in the water, a demarcation of at least 50 meters of each well and streams was carried out. However, as has been shown and as AND writes, “the latifundium, through its repressive apparatus of gunmen groups, will not meet any legal decision that decreases its thirst for power over the lives of poor peasants and will continue to apply a low intensity war against the people. ”

This is not the first time that the company Agropecuária Mata Sul S/A is accused of pouring toxic waste in wells. In 2020, the peasants denounced that a helicopter had thrown these waste in the region, contaminating the crops of the small peasants. It was already denounced that this has been happening since 2017.

However, the bourgeois press media and the government blame the peasants of being the ones who cause environmental crimes. In May 2021, the latifundium company denounced that they needed help to end the “environmental crimes”, and were going to meet with the State Secretary of Justice and Human Rights, Pedro Eurico. This meeting, which could not take place by the blockade of the “invaders”, according to the bourgeois press, which had burned tires and made barricades to prevent the passage of the Secretary of “Human Rights.” Likewise, the judge of the Maraial district “confirmed” the occurrence of “environmental crimes in these places due to irregular occupations.”

This example of struggle demonstrates, that once again, the laws will not protect the poor peasants from the attacks of the landowner who are at the service of imperialism, mainly the Yankee. That is why AND highlights the need to “constantly mobilize, organize and politicize the entire people of the countryside and the city, to be united and organized to prevent any type of action of the enemies of the people.”