In a statement, MST calls for more Agrarian Reform and an end to the criminalization of the Movement

The MST denounces the "escalation of repression against the struggle for land, where the interests of agribusiness associated with violence of the State of Exception prevail" after action by the PR Civil Police on November 4, 2016.

Pagina do MST

This Friday (November 4), the MST dawned in the spotlight of criminalization. A truculent police action, called "Castra," involved three states, Paraná, São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul, and its main objective was to arrest and criminalize the leaders of the Encampments Dom Tomás Balduino and Herdeiros da Luta pela Terra (Heirs of the Struggle for the Earth), militant settlers in the central region of Paraná.

In a statement, the MST denounces the "escalation of repression against the struggle for land, where the interests of agribusiness associate with the violence of the State of Exception predominate."

"We remember that we always act in an organized and peaceful way so that the Agrarian Reform advances. We demand that the land fulfill its social function and that it is destined for the settlement of the 10 thousand families encamped in Paraná," says excerpt of the statement.

In São Paulo, 10 civil police vehicles invaded the Florestan Fernandes National School (ENFF), in Guararema, São Paulo. Two militants were detained in that action.

According to reports, the police arrived at around 9.25 am, they jumped the school gate and the reception window and started firing toward the people in the school. The shards of bullets collected prove that none of them were rubber but lethal.

In Mato Grosso do Sul, 3 police vehicles, with plates from Paraná, entered the Research and Training Center Geraldo Garcia (CEPEGE), in Sidrolândia. The police action was looking for militants of the MST of Paraná that supposedly would be in that center. Police officers remained at the scene until approximately 9am when they left without anyone being arrested. During the action was the use of cell phones impeded.

The militants that were in the CEPEGE carried out works of cleaning and maintenance of the space.

Check out the full statement:

More Agrarian Reform and an end to the criminalization of the MST

Once again the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) is a victim of criminalization by the repressive apparatus of the State of Parana. The violent action christened "Castra" happened on this Friday (04/11/2016), in Paraná, in Quedas do Iguaçu; Francisco Beltrão and Laranjeiras do Sul; also in São Paulo and Mato Grosso do Sul.

The objective of the operation was to arrest and criminalize the leaders of the Encampments Dom Tomás Balduíno and Herdeiros da Luta pela Terra, militant settlers of the central region of Paraná. So far, six leaders have been arrested and the police are hunting other workers, under various accusations, including a criminal organization.

Since May 2014, approximately 3,000 families camped, occupy areas griladas1 by the company Araupel. These areas were griladas and therefore declared by Federal Justice public lands, belonging to the Union that should be destined for Agrarian Reform.

The Araupel company, which is a powerful economic and political empire, using land grabbing, the constant use of violence against rural workers and squatters, often acts in collusion with the civilian and military police apparatus, and has even financed political campaigns of public authorities, such as the head of the Civil Office of the Beto Richa Government, Valdir Rossoni.

We emphasize that this action is part of the continuity of the historical process of persecution and violence that the MST has been suffering in several states and Paraná. On April 7, 2016, the families organized in Camp Tomas Balduino were victims of an ambush by the Military Police and security guards hired by Araupel. In the attack, where more than 120 shots were fired, the execution of Vilmar Bordim and Leomar Orback occurred, and countless were wounded by gunshot. In that same latifúndio, in 1997, gunmen of Araupel assassinated, in another ambush, two landless workers. Both cases remain unpunished.

We denounce the escalation of repression against the struggle for land, where the interests of agribusiness associated with the violence of the State of Exception predominate.

We remember that we always act in an organized and peaceful way so that the Agrarian Reform advances. We demand that the land fulfill its social function and that it is destined for the settlement of the 10 thousand families encamped in Paraná.

We continue to fight for our rights and join those struggling for education, health, housing, and more rights and more democracy.

Fight, build People’s Agrarian Reform!
Curitiba, November 04, 2016.

1Griladas are persons who have claimed land ownership through the use of false land titles.