Landless Brazil?

By Angrette M. Merced Cruz

For 25 years the landless movement of Brazil, directed by the social movement known as MST, has carry out a wide range of protests, including land occupations. Families try to make what they can out of the land, growing vegetables and fruits, and raising animals. Constant fear has arise as a consequence of forced removal by the police after 2007. The 25th anniversary of the MST is marked with the plans of a weekend demonstration in the state of Rio Grande Do Sul. Their strategy has become controversial given to the amount of prosecutions and deaths of its members. This is due to the origin of the organization, which lacks existence as a legal entity. Brazil still has one of the highest levels of inequality of land distribution in the world. It is estimated that 10% of the largest farmers still hold 85% of the land. Even if the MST had been able to bring the agrarian reform on the political agenda, the residents of this "occupied" lands are still poor and are not autonomous farmers. The growing tensions with the government suggests that the MST is fighting many battles in many fronts. Its nature has changed given that it is fighting no only for land, but for social reform and transformation in a world that is becoming more and more globalized. Many hold the opinion that " the government cannot take productive land off farmers who lawfully own it and redistribute it to people who are landless and poor." It seems like the road ahead for the MST is uncertain and difficult, but they have the assurance that the agrarian reform must be address in order to prevent an bigger economic crisis.