Brazil: strong student solidarity with the Guarani-Kaiowa peasants of Douradina

Featured image: student march in support to the Guarani-Kaiowa indigenous peasants. Source: Data Archive of A Nova Democracia (AND).

The Brazilian newspaper AND reports on several activities in support of the Guarani-Kaiowa indigenous peasants which has carried out several retakings of lands and struggle since several years against the latifundium and the old Brazilian State. They were recently attacked by the latifundium in Douradina, Mato Grosso do Sul (MS).

The first action was a solidarity mission on July 27 formed by students, teachers and other supporters of the retaking of lands by the Guarani-Kaiowa peasants. The Support Committee to AND from Dourados (MS) was present in that mission.

This mission went through several retakings of lands which have been done during the last month in the state of Mato Grosso do Sul. In total it was five, one of them in the Indigenous Land Panambi-Lagoa Rica. We have recently reported when this retaking was attacked by the latifundium’s goons, with the complicity of the National Force of the old Brazilian State. The students joined the work of the indigenous peasants at the countryside, their claims and promised to continue supporting and denouncing the harassment and the attacks in the city.

Days after this mission, the retaking of Panambi-Lagoa Rica was attacked. The students who were present at the solidarity mission fulfilled their promises and quickly showed their solidarity and carried out a mobilization supporting the peasants. On August 7 the Central Directory of Students (DCE) from the Universidade Federal da Grande Dourados (UFDG) organized a big event inside the university in support to the Guarani-Kaiowa retakings. Workers, technicians, teachers, etc., joined the march.

They showed solidarity and demanded the end of the attacks against the peasantry, carried out and firmly denounced the paramilitary repression unleashed by the big landlords and promised to continue the mobilizations.

On August 10 the students carried out a second solidarity mission, on this occasion was to the Yvy Ajere retaking of land in Douradina. Again there were AND journalists along with students and teachers. A Guarani-Kaiowa peasant warrior stated that “even if the lead their vans against us, we will not abandon this place.”