The History of the MST
*translated from www.mst.org.br on February 12, 2003
Brazil’s Landless Worker's Movement was born from the concrete, isolated struggles for land that rural workers were developing in southern Brazil at the end of the 1970's. Brazil was going through a politically opening process towards the end of the military regime. Brazilian capitalism was not able to alleviate the existing contradictions that blocked progress in the countryside. Land concentration, the expulsion of the poor from rural areas and the modernization of agriculture persisted, while a mass exodus to the cities and the policies of colonization entered a crisis period. In this context, various concrete struggles slowly began to surface. From these developments, the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra, or the Movement of Rural Landless Workers was born and structured with the Encruzilhada Natalino encampment in Ronda Alta, Rio Grande do Sul and the Landless Farmer Movement of Western Paraná (Mastro) as its origins.
The MST was officially founded in 1984, during the 1st Meeting of the Landless Rural Workers in Cascavel, Paraná. The following year, the MST officially organized itself at the national level at the 1st National Congress of the Landless.
This version of the story makes the MST's beginnings seem simple, but the vision for an MST goes back before 1984 and involves much more than just one person’s ideas. This history begins during the end of the 1970s, when a military dictatorship ruled Brazil. The country lived under the manner of the “Brazilian Miracle", but for the rural poor, it was more like the “Brazilian Plague": unemployment and migration of workers from rural to urban areas. The intense mechanization of agriculture, which was introduced under the military governments, left no place for salaried farmworkers, renters or sharecroppers.
There were rural workers, however, who believed that they could organize themselves and defend their rights to work the land. As a result, on October 7, 1979, landless farmers from the state of Rio Grande do Sul occupied the Macali land in Ronda Alta.
At the same time, similar struggles were taking place in other Southern states such as Mato Grosso and São Paulo. In each state, rural workers were carrying out occupations and news of these occupations spread across the country. The Brazil society supported these actions and the landless occupations became part of the push for democracy throughout the country.
The MST, however, is not the first movement in the struggle for land in Brazil, nor is it the first in Latin America. Much earlier, farming families had organized themselves in search of land and better living and working conditions. We can cite the following examples: from 1950 to 1964, the Peasant Leagues (Ligas Camponesas) and MASTER (Movimento dos Agricultores Sem Terra or the Landless Farmers’ Movement); and at the end of the 19th century, Canudos and Contestado. The Mexican Revolution during the beginning of the 20th century and the Cuban Revolution of 1959, both of which carried forth the idea of “land for those who work it. These and other struggles inspire the MST to continue fighting for a Brazil with more equitable land ownership ? a Brazil without latifúndios (large land tracts with a single owner).
Little by little, the MST began to understand that winning land was important, but not enough. They also need access to credit, housing, technical assistance, schools, healthcare and other needs that a landless family must have met. Somehow landless families needed to survive without very much to start with. In addition, the MST discovered that the struggle was not just against the Brazilian latifúndio, but also against the neoliberal economic model.
From this initial work, the MST went on to organize more encampments and occupations of large farms (or fazendas) and headquarters of public and multinational entities, as well as to eliminate fields of genetically modified crops, to carry out marches, hunger strikes and other political actions.
One such event was the National March for Employment, Justice and Agrarian Reform, where marchers simultaneously left various states and arrived in the capital city of Brasília on April 17, 1997 (exactly one year after the massacre of 19 workers in Eldorado dos Carajás, Pará). Another example is the 4th National Congress also held in Brasília, where 11,000 landless Brazilians participated in August 2000. These events are still in the minds of the Brazilian people, in a time when agrarian reform is associated with the false promises of the federal government.
Today, the MST is active in 23 states of Brazil’s 27 states and involves more than 1.5 million people. About 350,000 families have been settled onto their own land through this struggle, and another 80,000 live in encampments awaiting the governments recognition.
If we look at the numbers, we can confirm that agrarian reform works. Today, there are about 400 associations in the areas of production, commercialization and services, 49 Agricultural and Cattle-raising Cooperatives (CPA) with participating 2,299 families, 32 Service Cooperatives with 11,174 direct partners, two Regional Commercialization Cooperatives and 3 Credit Cooperatives with 6,521 members.
There are 96 small and medium-sized cooperatives that process fruit, vegetables, dairy products, grains, coffee, meat, and sweets. Such MST economic enterprises generate employment, income, and revenue that indirectly benefit about 700 small towns in Brazilís interior.
Connected to production is education: about 160,000 children study from 1st to 4th grade in the 1800 public schools on MST settlements. About 3900 educators paid by the town are developing a pedagogy specifically for the rural MST schools. In conjunction with UNESCO and more than 50 universities, the MST is developing a literacy program for approximately 19,000 teenagers and adults in the settlements.
There are currently Education and Teaching courses at seven universities (Para, ParaÌba, Sergipe, Espirito Santo, Mato Grasso, Mato Grosso do Sul and Rio Grande do Sul) to train new teachers. In addition, the JosuÈ de Castro School in VeranÛpolis, Rio Grande do Sul is collaborating by providing training to students in the management of settlements and cooperatives, in order to train them with skills for the work being developed in settlements. Also in 2001, a Nursing course was started, and in 2002, a Communications course for MST participants was added.
With the support of the Brazilian Minister of the Environment, the MST developed an Environmental Education program for leaders, teachers, and technical experts in the settlements. With the help of photographer Sebasti„o Salgado, we are planning a technical environmental school in the town of AimorÈs, Minas Gerais. Lastly, in collaboration with the Cuban government, 48 MST members are currently studying medicine at the Latin American School of Medicine in Cuba.
MST families are conscious of the need to preserve the natural environment and human health. Accordingly, in September of 1999, landless families introduced Bionatur seeds, produced without any pesticides, herbicides, or other chemicals. Families have also worked to preserve forests, such as in Pontal do Paranapanema (S„o Paulo), and to produce herbal medicines. To show their solidarity with those living in poverty and suffering because of natural disasters, MST members sent seeds to both Venezuela and Cuba.
February 4th, 2002, marked the beginning of the MST's participation in the opening of the Continental Campaign against the FTAA. MST members marched among more than 50,000 people during the World Social Forum, a march organized by both Via Campesina (an international rural worker organization) and Via Campesina of Brazil (a network of various rural worker movements). The campaign was organized nationally by various groups, movements, and religious organizations, from both rural and urban areas. The campaign saw its beginning during the National Plebiscite against the FTAA, when more than 10 million people voiced their opposition to the North American project to dominate the Americas.
In order to show its international concern and solidarity with all oppressed people living in poverty, three members of Via Campesina (including one from the MST) spent three weeks with Yasser Arafat in Palestine during the month of April. In Brazil, landless MST families have promoted various activities to show their solidarity with the Palestinian community, calling for peace and an end to the Israeli attacks. The MST was able to send 100 soccer balls produced by MST members to Palestinian children.
The MST is not isolated in its struggle for a free Brazil and a free Latin America. The MST works in conjunction with various rural worker movements and urban movements throughout Brazil. In addition, the MST continues to stay in contact with other international movements and other nations that embrace the same cause. One such example is Cuba, which has taught us major lessons about cooperative learning.
Together with all of the Latin American rural worker movements, the MST is part of CLOC (Latin American Coordination of Rural Worker Organizations). CLOC began in 1992 with protests and demonstrations during the 500-year anniversary of the invasion of Latin America.
During Brazil's National Week of Culture (March 18-24, 2002) in Rio de Janeiro, the Uruguayan musician Daniel Viglietti performed to pay homage to Latin America. Viglietti writes and performs songs supporting social protest and is known as the author of the song "A desalambar." Also during this week, the MST appealed to the sympathy and support of the Rio de Janeiro community by holding a forum in conjunction with UERJ (State University of Rio de Janeiro). The forum included days of debate around culture and agriculture and cultural presentations, highlighting the assets of the Brazilian people. From all over Brazil, MST members from encampments and settlements came together to participate in the forum and show the fruits of true agrarian reform.
Today the MST continues with its fight for agrarian reform, for a free, sovereign and egalitarian Brazil, and for a continent free from the FTAA.
