Note of the League of Poor Peasants and actions in solidarity with the peasants in Barro Branco

Following we share an unofficial translation of an article by A Nova Democracia on a note published by the League of Poor Peasants on the attacks they faced by the big landlords.

“The reaction of the bolsonarist latifundium, after several defeats imposed by the LCP in Rondônia, which is why they created, with the full encouragement of the then President of the Republic, Bolsonaro, the paramilitary force “Cero Invasion”, which in a short time of existence has already committed and commit so many crimes for the country, in Barro Branco, suffered its first defeat. It is the first of several that will be bitter, as more and more peasants, indigenous people and Quilombolas realize that only by increasing their self-defense will they be able to guarantee their rights. In 2023, in a public statement, the LCP warned peasants across the country and called on them to defend their right to land with arms in their hands. This Bolsonarist paramilitary horde is taking its cowardly war to the countryside, it’s a war they’re going to have!” This is how the joint statement from the National Commission of the League of Poor Peasants and the League of Poor Peasants of the Northeast begins.

The statement, made public today, deals in detail with the Peasant Battle in Barro Branco, in Jaqueira, in the Zona da Mata of Pernambuco.

LCP reports that, on September 28, “the Bolsonarist movement ‘Cero Invasion’ carried out another of its terrorist attacks against the rural masses. In several regions of the country, this paramilitary group, financed by the latifundium, counting on the political support of the ‘authorities’ of the old State and the military support of the Military Police and Civil Police, armed to the teeth, has attacked the mobilizations of peasants, Quilombolas and indigenous people”, however, this time, “they received pellets”:

“The last attack, on September 28, was the biggest they carried out against the squatters of Barro Branco. It was also the biggest defeat they suffered. They lined up their trucks, with two backhoes in front and the Military Police (MP) troops in the rear. As always, they came with their colonel arrogance, ordering the peasants to get out of the way, believing that those masses would accept, once again, seeing their houses demolished and buried. This time they came across two barricades and a lot of fire on the way. Cornered by the thrown stones and the fire set by the resistance, they showed the size of their ‘bravery’ and like cowards they run desperately. The state president of ‘Cero Invasion’, so used to beating up peasants, he and another of his gang took a harsh blow. A backhoe was also destroyed and one of the Rottweiler dogs taken by the criminals to intimidate the peasants ended up dead by fire from the barricades”, the LCP highlights.

‘Paramilitary horde accustomed to attacking with impunity’

The LCP also denounced that “Cero Invasion” has carried out a series of war operations against the peasants, accustomed to act without significant resistance.

“In several regions of the country, this paramilitary group, financed by the latifundium, counting on the political support of ‘authorities’ of the old State and the military support of the Military Police and Civil Police, armed to the teeth, has attacked the mobilizations of peasants, Quilombolas and indigenous people. In 2024, bringing together a large number of trucks with armed gangs, ‘Cero Invasion’ attacked unarmed peasants in Pará, preventing a just retake of land. In Bahia, with the support of the MP of the PT government, it attacked an indigenous mobilization and murdered its companion Nega Pataxó. At the beginning of the year, in Rondônia, in the municipality of Machadinho D’Oeste, more than 100 armed men without any badge surrounded a camp, captured the peasants, tortured several people and handed them over to the MP. In the same way, it has systematically attacked the Guarani-kaiowás in Mato Grosso do Sul and, on September 9, the same gang murdered the young Guarani leader Neri Ramos da Silva, while the National Security Force, sent by the Luiz Inácio government, did nothing to stop the killers. Also in Paraná, in the municipality of Terra Roxa, where the Awá-Guaranis are trying to retake the lands grabbed by the Brilhante farm, the same ‘Zero Invasion’ under the eyes of the FNS set fire to the product warehouse and injured 4 indigenous people”, highlighted the movement.

In the article you can read the full note, that we will translate during next days:

On October 7, students of the State University of Rio de Janeiro – UERJ, spread leaflets and made an agitation in defense of the struggle of the squatters of Engenho of Barro Branco, in Jaqueira.

More than 300 leaflets with the note published by the support committee of the squatters of Barro Branco were spread, a banner that treads “all the support to the struggle of the squatters in Barro Branco! Long live LCP!” was unfolded and, in an agitation, the crimes of the big landlord Guilherme Maranhão and the government of Pernambuco were denounced.

The action was successful because students and workers were interested to know the struggle for the land and several asked how they could help the peasants.