MST Occupies Bank of Brazil and Highways in Cities Across the State of Rio Grande do Sul

In protest against the non-release of funds from the federal government and state of Rio Grande do Sul to farmers affected by drought, about 800 farmers from the MST held demonstrations in several regions of Rio Grande do Sul.

More than 300 peasants occupied, on Wednesday (February, 1) the building of the Bank of Brazil in the city of Júlio de Castilhos. In other cities in the state, farmers maintained protests, with roadblocks on highways and central avenues.

In São Luiz Gonzaga, the region of the missions, 200 farmers remain camped outside the building of the Companhia Estadual de Silos e Armazéns (CESA) [Ed. The State Company of Silos and Warehouses is a corporation, linked to the Department of Agriculture and Supply, and has the state of Rio Grande do Sul and its majority shareholder.]. In Santana do Livramento, on the southern border, the Rosário-Livramento BR-158 was shut at intervals of 15 minutes at km 536.

In the capital [Porto Alegre], about 300 activists protested in front of the building of the Ministry of Agriculture on Avenida Loureiro da Silva. Farmers call for more flexibility in actions to combat the effects of drought, affecting over 30,000 families across the state. The MST also held demonstrations in  Manoel Viana, Candiota, Hulha Negra and Piratini.

February 3, 2012