Brazil – Peasant resistance and struggle in Ceará

The peasantry resist at the margins of the River Jaguaribe, in the region of the Valley Jaguaribe, Ceará. This region is well-known because of the rule imposed by the big landlords who use the goons to impose their will. This is nowadays being challenged by the People’s Organization (OPA) which organize the peasantry and struggles against latifundium. AND reports that these peasants have carried out remarkable actions such as occupying the “Workers” Party (PT) headquarters at the end of 2023 protesting against the refusal of the Governor to dialogue with the movement.

One of the peasant leaders of the area, Jessé, welcomed a A Nova Democracia (AND) reporter and explained the struggle waged in the area. He is threatened by the big landlords and he explains that the movement headed by him had to broke with MST due to “that the movement itself (the MST) had its limits within institutionality”. He also explains that the OPA carries out on its own the “land demarcation”, that means, they do not wait the instructions or permission given by the old Brazilian State, but they take the lands by themselves and divide them among the peasantry.

The peasants organized by the OPA are living in the Occupation Gregório Bezerra II. This occupation was established on lands which were abandoned many years ago and belonged to a state deputy, Osmar Baquit Diógenes, member of the “Democratic Labor” Party (PDT). AND reports that he “has already sent dozens of armed and hooded paramilitary thugs to intimidate the peasants.” But this has not deterred or scared the masses in the area, who mobilized in the region in larger numbers to support the occupation and make the goons retreat.

An AND reporter has attended to an event held on Christmas by the peasants where they showed solidarity with Palestine. AND brought to the peasant occupation the greetings and solidarity by the struggling peasants from Barro Branco.