Brazil: Celebration of the 17th Anniversary of the Popular Land Division in the José Ricardo Area
Featured image: Peasants celebrating the 17th anniversary of the popular land division of José Ricardo Area. Source: A Nova Democracia
Peasants led by the League of the Poor Peasants (LCP) celebrated, alongside democratic activists and students, the 17th anniversary of the Popular Land Division in the José Ricardo Area, during which land deeds were granted following the land occupation.
According to A Nova Democracia (AND), after kicking off the event with a rendition of “Conquer the Land,” the anthem of the Agrarian Revolution, the LCP, the Agrarian Revolution Defense Committee (CDRA), and a representative of the National Executive of Pedagogy Students (ExNEPE) delivered speeches.
The LCP representative paid tribute to comrade José “Zé” Ricardo, the peasant leader after whom the area is named: “Zé Ricardo, with his fierce and combative spirit, gathered a multitude and defended it—a multitude (of landless or nearly landless peasants). Zé Ricardo is the symbol of this region and of those who are our comrades here, who fight for every inch of land they possess, who do not surrender in an endless struggle, who dedicate their entire lives—through blood and sweat—to conquer their lands!”
The CDRA representative added: “When I speak about Popular Land Division Celebration, I feel deeply honored. Because here we waged a struggle. And if we hadn’t taken part in that struggle, we wouldn’t be on these lands today. It was the League that brought us here, to our plots. If it had depended on the MST (Landless Workers’ Movement), we’d still be living by the roadside today!”
The crowd responded with the chants: Um, dois, três, quatro, cinco, mil! Avança a Liga por todo o Brasil!” (One, two, three, four, five, a thousand! The League advances across Brazil!) and “Ir ao combate sem temer! Ousar lutar, ousar vencer! (Combat without fear! Dare to struggle, dare to win!)
ExNEPE warmly saluted the memory of Zé Ricardo and emphasized that the different struggles—worker, student, or the Agrarian Revolution—are all “fronts of the same struggle of the oppressed peoples against imperialism, especially US imperialism.” The crowd then echoed the slogans: “Juventude do Irã e Palestina, sua luta continua na América Latina!” (Youth of Iran and Palestine, your struggle continues in Latin America!) and “Servir ao povo de todo coração, tropa de choque da revolução! (Serving the people wholeheartedly, shock troops of the revolution!)
After the presentations, various cultural activities were organized, and the 17th anniversary of the peasant victory in the land occupation was celebrated with great enthusiasm.
The A Nova Democracia Support Committee is preparing a brief document on the struggles of the peasants of Riachão de Dentro. As part of this effort, an interview with the Riachão de Dentro Neighborhood Association, led by the LCP, will soon be published.
You can read the story of comrade Zé Ricardo in the following article:
The source of all images is A Nova Democracia.
