Landless movement vows to hold new land occupations

João Pedro Stédile, the leader of Brazil’s Landless Workers’ Movement (MST), said over the Easter holiday that activists will hold demonstrations nationwide this month, including new occupations of land.

In a video message, Mr. Stédile stressed that his movement campaigned for the election of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, but added that the MST will not achieve its objectives without political pressure. 

“Electing President Lula is not enough,” he said. “We want to contribute also to solving problems [such as hunger, unemployment, lack of schooling].”

“In this month of April our movement will stage several demonstrations for land reform […] in all states, whether protest marches, vigils, [or] land occupations,” he said, adding that “without land distribution there will be no possibility for the rural poor to work.”

The MST traditionally holds “Red April” events every year, a series of occupations and demonstrations in memory of the 1996 massacre in the city of Eldorado do Carajás, in the northern state of Pará, during which police officers killed 21 demonstrators. 

Land occupations by the MST started to drop in the Michel Temer administration (2016-2018), and remained at historically low levels during Jair Bolsonaro’s term (2019-2022). However, they rose after Lula took office: there have been at least 16 occupations this year so far.

The MST is a social movement with strong ties to Lula’s Workers’ Party and on which public opinion is deeply polarized. 

While for many Lula supporters the Landless Workers’ Movement is a champion of social issues, defending land redistribution and sustainable agriculture, the large-scale farming sector largely shares Mr. Bolsonaro’s view of MST members as “terrorists” who encourage the invasion of private land.

Last month, MST members invaded three eucalyptus farms owned by Suzano, a major paper and pulp producer. Roughly 1,700 families want the government to include the properties in an agrarian reform plan. They have since left the farms following a court order.

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