Landless Workers could become subject to Brazil’s Antiterrorism Law

Earlier this week, militant members of the Homeless Workers’ Movement (MTST) occupied the triplex used as evidence of former President Lula in the corruption charges leveraged against him. Guilherme Boulos, a national coordinator for the movement and current presidential candidate, quipped on social media: “If it’s Lula’s, the people can stay. If not, then why is he in jail?”

But the MTST and its rural counterpart, the MST (Landless Workers’ Movement), are proving to be a thorn in the side of Brazil’s current conservative administration. The MST has been occupying land for more than 30 years, often over issues related to land rights. While the Constitution provides their right to do so, the actions of the two groups could soon be subject to Brazil’s Antiterrorism Law.

Just months before the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, Brazil signed off on its first piece of legislation to counteract terrorism. The United Nations and human rights NGOs including Conectas and Greenpeace...