News on the Struggle for Land in Brazil

Featured image: Peasant families of the Gleba Leandro, Maranhão, repelled several eviction attempts and attacks by Latifundium.

The struggle for land continues developing in Brazil, where several struggles take place across the country, were poor peasants and indigenous peasants confront the latifundium and the old State, reports A Nova Democracia (AND).

The state of Bahia is one the places where this struggle has sharpened in the past weeks. Peasants of the indigenous Munduruku, Araiuns and other peoples occupied the Terminal of Cargill and made blockades along the river Tapajós on 21^st of February, in protest against a mega-project. The indigenous peasants also blockaded the access to ships and stopped partially the operations in the port, which is one of the main ports for exports in the Amazon region. This action affected directly the interests of the latifundium.

The indigenous peasants denounced that the mega-project which seeks to dry out the area, will destroy their ancestral lads, will prevent the traditional ways of transport and also will attack the fishing, one of the main livelihoods of the indigenous peoples in the area. AND also reports that indigenous peasants of the Pataxó people occupied lands in the municipalities of Prado and Itamaraju, including lands considered as part of the Indigenous Land (TI) Comexatibá. They occupied the land and resisted the attempts of eviction and armed attacks by goons of the region, who are at the service of latifundium.

These Pataxó indigenous peasants of Comexatibá confronted on 24^th of February a harsh attack by goons, who used helicopters, cars and motorcycles. AND reports that the big landlords and their goons blocked the entry accesses and shot against civilians. They also kidnapped an indigenous family of the area. During this attack they even shot two tourists who were going to the beaches of the region. The pro-Latifundium media attempted to spread fake news, stating that the ones who shot these tourists were the indigenous peasants. Such lies have been denied by indigenous leaders of the TI of Comexatibá. The old State’s repressive forces attacked the peasants and detained 12 people, including indigenous leaders, such as the Chief Mandi. The south of Bahia, where these attacks by goons and the old State took place, is where the paramilitary movement “Invasão Zero” was born.

Poor peasants also confronted the latifundium in Maranhão, where they defeated the goons. Peasant families of Gleba Leandro repelled several attempts of invasion and destruction of their properties from 21^st of February onwards. The attacks started on 21^st of February, when the goons invaded the area and destroyed crops. The peasants accuse the big landlord Jerson Borstel of grabbing their lands and hiring goons to try to evict the peasant families from the area. This big landlord has even sent messages admitting that he is interested in this area, making his intentions clear. On 23^rd of February at least 35 goons were used to attack the peasant families. On 24^th they attacked again, but the peasants were organized and prepared in defense positions to reject the attack. A henchman of the big landlord, called Adailton, led the attack.

During this offensive the peasants remained firm, stated that their intention was not to abandon the land at all, and the goons needed to be rescued as they retreated.

A Nova Democracia is the source of all the pictures used in this article.