Some News on the Struggle for Land in Brazil
We share some of the latest news found in the democratic newspaper A Nova Democracia.
Latifundium attacks peasants in Pernambuco
On April 11, peasants reported an attack by goons in the service of the latifundium against the Occupation at Fazenda Malhada, organized by the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST). The aggressors invaded the territory without a court order, beat the peasants, threatened families, and set part of the land on fire. The peasants were attacked despite the fact that the lands are unproductive and no economic benefit is taken from them.
The MST demands the land for food production and calls for the immediate expropriation of the property, requesting a swift intervention from the MDA/Incra to investigate the violence and crimes committed by the aggressors. In 2023, the Court of Justice of Pernambuco (TJPE) conducted a conciliation in favor of the latifundium, where the big landlord Elisio Correia da Cruz Junior, linked to local politics and the real estate sector, was present. It was agreed that the eviction of the latifundium would take place before November 1, and the municipality of Arcoverde offered a paltry housing assistance of 200 reais for six months to the peasants.
Despite political and economic pressure, the peasants decided to continue occupying the estate and keep the struggle for land alive, a conflict that has lasted over 20 years. The situation reflects the ongoing struggle for agrarian rights and social justice in Brazil.
Murder attempt during a MST demonstration in Recife
On April 15, activists from the MST were victims of an attempted murder during a protest in Recife. A driver broke through a blockade and ran over two activists, fleeing in the opposite direction. One of the victims, Gideone Sinfrônio de Menezes Filho, 67, is in a coma after suffering a cranial trauma. Samuel Scarponi, another activist who was hit and a state leader of the MST, described the scene as terrifying, noting that the driver accelerated upon seeing the protesters and caused severe injuries to his companion.
The protest route went from the headquarters of the São Francisco Hydroelectric Company (Chesf) to the headquarters of the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (Incra). Although the driver was identified and his vehicle was seized, the police have kept his name secret and have not provided details about the judicial process.
This event was part of the Struggles Journey in Memory of the Eldorado dos Carajás Massacre, known as “Red April,” a month in which the MST seeks to pressure the government to implement agrarian reform. However, Luiz Inácio’s administration has shown little interest in addressing the attacks on the peasants.
