[03/08/2006] Women confront military police at International Conference on Agrarian Reform

[03/08/2006] Women confront military police at International Conference on Agrarian Reform

Porto Alegre – The morning of 03/08 a group of rural women confronted the military police of Rio Grande do Sul, who had attemped to prevent the women from presenting their letter of discontent to the delegates of the 2nd International Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development (ICARRD), held at the Pontifical Catholic University (PUC) of Rio Grande do Sul.

At the main entrance of the ICARRD, military police prevented the women from entering the conference site. After a great deal of confusion, with shoving from both sides, conference organizers granted the women entry into the parking area. The women then held a symbolic burial of a number of agribusiness concerns, responsible for the exploitation of rural workers in Brazil.

Another group of 50 women were allowed to enter the main meeting area of the ICARRD where they read their letter of discontent to the delegates from over 80 countries. Their letter included demands for a new agrarian reform model which favors small farmers, preserves and protects biodiversity, and forces changes to the current practices of the World Trade Organization (WTO), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank (WB).

Adriana Maria dos Santos, a leader of Brazil’s Movement of Rural Women (MMC), criticized the conduct of the military police for attempting to deny the women their right to enter the conference. “On the 8th of March, International Women’s Day, we had to fight through police barricades to express our discontent. As such, this has been one more victory in the woman’s struggle‿, stated Adriana.

According to Adriana, prior to the dramatic events at PUC over 3,000 rural workers had conducted a march in the streets of Porto Alegre. The march of the MMC went towards PUC after a one-hour demonstration in front of the offices of Aracruz Celulose. The rural workers accused the company of environmental crimes, for the planting of Eucalyptus in monocultural plantations throughout the country.

In Portuguese –
The above article is available in its’ original form by visiting:
http://www.mst.org.br/informativos/minforma/ultimas1676.htm