Land Reform in Brazil: Slowly Grinding to a Halt
President Dilma Rousseff´s policies maintain growth in agribusiness while murders of rural workers increase.
On April 17th, 1996, 19 rural workers of the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) were killed in the so called Eldorado dos Carajás massacre (Pará). On this day, 17 years ago, the Military Police, under the command of governor Almir Gabriel (PSDB, a conservative, right-wing party), clashed a march for land reform with gun shots. 154 policemen have been reported by the public minister, but only 2 were convicted. The ex-Governor Almir Gabriel died without being held accountable for his crimes.
Unfortunately, rural workers and the land reform issue are treated under PT´s (Workers’ Party) government in a similar way as the traditional right-wing parties (PSDB/DEM): deaths in the countryside and the domination of the large agricultural business.
The federal government expropriated only 21 new rural estates in the country in 2012, aiming agrarian reform. Figures presented by the INCRA (The National Institute of Colonization and Land Reform) show that Dilma Rousseff’s government (PT) has settled less rural workers than Fernando Henrique Cardoso’s administration (1994-2002; former conservative president before Lula (PT) government). These are so low numbers that can be compared to the corrupt Fernando Collor’s government [1]. Only 23,000 landless families have been awarded land and 150,000 are still living in camp sites.
The movement’s criminalization goes ahead flat out. Rural workers are murdered by landowners, without any punishment. The Land Pastoral Commission (linked to the Catholic Church) claims that 1,637 rural workers were murdered in Brazil between 1985 and 2011, but only 91 of the hired gunmen have been convicted, while 15 of the landowners who hired them were found guilty, and only one is currently in prison. A true example of injustice.
The Federal Government has chosen its side: the agribusiness. The PT has opted to govern for the landowners, who act as “lords” of the Brazilian land. These “lords” own 85% of the best arable land in Brazil and they produce primarily for exportation – sweet corn, soya, cattle and sugar cane. Meanwhile, millions of Brazilian people have no access to food.
Brazil has the second highest concentration of land ownership in Latin America, trailed by Paraguay. The policy being applied by president Dilma contributes to this situation. She is delivering about US$ 90 million in credits to the agribusiness and only US$ 9 million to the small, independent farmers, even though the latter represent 87 percent of Brazil’s rural labor force and produce the bulk of food consumed by its inhabitants.
The Landless Workers’ Movement needs to stop its support to this government and start land occupations again. The characterization of a “government in dispute” has resulted in the paralysis of the movement and allowed practically to a halt in agrarian reform. Who prioritizes bourgeois landowners in the agribusiness is not willing to make the land reform necessary. PT no longer defends this proposal, only the landless movement side by side with urban workers can guarantee, through mobilization, land reform.
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[1] Fernando Collor was President of Brazil in 1990-1992, when he was impeached for corruption.
