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Posted 10/30/03
Freedom for the Political Prisoners of the MST -- On July 11, 2003, five MST activists were arbitrarily arrested while attending a court hearing in Teodoro Sampaio County, Sao Paulo State, by Judge Átis de Araújo de Oliveira. This is one more of many arbitrary actions by Judge Oliveira, who in one of his rulings even likened the actions of the MST with that of criminal organizations, in an attempt to criminalize the struggle of the landless for their constitutional right to the agrarian reform. Please act now in solidarity with the prisoners. (MST International Relations Sector)
Posted 7/29/03
Landless Worker Killed and Many Others Wounded in Paraiba Conflict -- On June 4, 2003 about 1500 landless workers were working together on the Sao José farm when a group of heavily armed hired men (ordered by the farm owner, Marcos Napoleao) surprised the workers. The hired men attacked the landless families and fired many shots at them. 43 year-old worker Antonio Alves da Silva was killed and ten other workers were wounded. Three of those were seriously wounded, including two women (one just fourteen years old) and one man.
Posted 6/10/03
Massacre at Carajás -- Today, April 17, 2003 is International Day of Peasant Struggle. Today also marks the 7th year in which no one has been held accountable for the Massacre at Carajás. Please act now in solidarity with mobilized farmers movements throughout the world. (Human Rights Sector, National Secretariat MST)
Posted 4/20/03
El Dorado Dos Carajas Trial -- Two Token Convictions -- The verdict of the recent Eldorado dos Carajas trial is in - there were a colonel, 2 majors, a captain, 4 lieutenants, 11 sargeants, and 128 military policer officers who were charged. However, only one colonel and one major were convicted, and they are still free. All of the others were acquitted. The two convictions appear to have been only a symbolic gesture. (Rio Maria Committee)
Posted 7/15/02
MST Activists Continue to Be Victims of Political Persecution in the State of São Paulo -- The MST is enduring a process of "criminalization," their political activities defined as "criminal," with resulting violation of their human rights such as their freedoms of movement and expression and the inviolability of their homes. These activities are supported by the governor of the state of São Paulo, who does nothing to impede police violations of the universal rights of the landless rural workers. In fact, the governor continues to privilege the desires of the large farmers and land defrauders in the Pontal do Paranapanema.
Posted 6/12/02
US Military Base in Brazil Displacing AfroBrazilian Communities -- The Alcântara Rocket Launch Center is being considered for handover to the the United states, displacing local families and effectively setting up a nuclear military base for the U.S. It is necessary to block this agreement, because its approval would allow the U.S. government to assume control over the entire base area of 62,000 hectares, with serious consequences for local communities and national sovereignty.
Posted 6/04/02
MST Calls on International Community -- An invitation to all the friends of the MST outside Brazil to mobilize and join us the week of April 8 to 11 in the city of belém to attend the trial of those accused in the Massacre of Eldorado Dos Carajás.
Posted 3/11/02
Urgent Action: Send EMAILS and letters demanding impartiality in the Massacre at Eldorado dos Carajas Trial -- Judge Eva Coelho do Amaral set April 8, 2002 as the date to begin the trial. In the first session, the 3 officers acquitted in August 1999 will be tried. In the second session, on April 15th, another 17 officers will be tried and in the third session, on April 22, a remaining 129 policemen will be tried.
Posted 3/1/02
Urgent Action: Campaign to Free Our Political Prisoners -- President Fernando Henrique Cardoso's "democratic" administration includes the arbitrary imprisonment of working men and women. There are currently 39 people (25 from the state of Pará and 4 from São Paulo) who are in jail, many without having been formally charged with a crime. In Pará 14 MST workers, 6 members of the Homeless Workers Movement and 5 members of the Ananindeua Land Occupation Movement have been imprisoned.
Posted 2/26/02
Urgent Action: Campaign For The Release Of Political Prisoners In Pará -- Please write to demand the immediate release of political prisoners in the state of Para.
Posted 2/19/02
URGENT ACTION: Please Send Letters Condemning Recent Attack On CUT's Office! -- Our three member delegation from the UE has just returned from the World Social Forum meetings in Porto Alegre, Brazil. While we could (and will) write more at length about the many wonderful and interesting things which occurred there, we are contacting you now to inform you of an extremely disturbing event which transpired while we were there -- an attack by ten uniformed men on the offices of the CUT, Brazil's largest and most progressive trade union federation.
Posted 2/15/02
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Last updated Jun. 10, 2003 20:12:25