Agro condemns land invasions and says MST is criminal – 03/02/2023 – Politics

Brazilian agribusiness entities and sector leaders criticized the land invasions carried out by the MST (Movement of Landless Rural Workers) this week in Bahia, claiming that the movement commits a crime and demanding that the government of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) contain the actions.

Members of the MST invaded three Suzano Celulose farms in the extreme south of Bahia early on Monday (27), in the municipalities of Mucuri, Teixeira de Freitas and Caravelas. According to the MST, the act tries to pressure Suzano to comply with the 2011 agreement, which would involve the transfer of land to settle 600 families.

By note, Suzano reported that the properties were damaged by members of the movement. Questioned by the report about the details of the agreement pointed out by the MST, the company did not respond.

Ibá (Brazilian Tree Industry), chaired by the former governor of Espírito Santo Paulo Hartung, said that the invasions in Bahia disrespected the legislation and, instead of promoting social justice, caused economic and social damage, putting jobs and income at risk. .

“Ibá and its associates have full confidence in the Brazilian judicial system. In this sense, a prompt reversal of this situation is expected. Furthermore, the Bahian government also has a tradition of knowing how to promote the peaceful restoration of the indispensable social harmony that serves as the basis, through constructive dialogue, for true social and economic development”, says an excerpt from the statement signed by Hartung.

The centennial SRB (Brazilian Rural Society) stated in a note signed by its president, Sérgio Bortolozzo, that the growth of the movements violates the right to private property and leads to insecurity in the countryside.

This, according to Bortolozzo, causes economic losses and puts a brake on investments and the generation of jobs and income.

“The forest sector is of great social and economic importance for the country, preserving more than 6 million hectares of native vegetation, cultivating almost 10 million hectares for economic purposes and generating revenues of more than US$ 12 billion in exports”, he said.

The SRB also said it expected a quick response, both from local authorities and the federal government, to contain the movement. “There is only one way to promote social justice and that is through dialogue and within the law.”

This Wednesday (1st), the Coalizão Brasil Clima, Florestas e Agricultura, created in 2015 and which comprises more than 340 companies, civil society organizations and sectors such as finance and academia, published a statement vehemently repudiating the invasion of the three properties of the Suzano in Bahia.

Among the members of the group are associations such as Abag (Brazilian Association of Agribusiness), ABiogás (Brazilian Association of Biogas) and Abiove (Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries).

“The huge land challenges existing in Brazil must not be faced from illegal actions that impact productive properties or compromise economic undertakings that generate jobs and mobilize the local and national economy. The occupation of properties that fulfill this social function cannot be accepted in under any circumstances”, says the group.

President of the FPA (Parliamentary Front for Agriculture), federal deputy Pedro Lupion (PP-PR), said that the invasion of productive farms is a crime and that he has seen “lenience with those who commit these acts”.

“Who cares about this loss of opportunity, income and rural jobs? Who cares about the return of land conflicts, a new war in the countryside?”, questioned the parliamentarian on his social networks.

WAVE OF INVASIONS

This week’s wave of criticism adds to those made after the invasions that took place on the 18th, when the FNL (Frente Nacional de Luta Campo e Cidade) launched the Red Carnival in four cities in São Paulo – Marabá Paulista, Sandovalina, Presidente Prudente and Rosana.

The group claims to claim the allocation of areas for the implementation of agrarian reform settlements for landless rural workers.

Aprosoja/SP (Association of Soybean and Corn Producers of the State of São Paulo) was one of the entities to express its rejection of land invasions on Carnival Saturday.

“We vehemently condemn the relativization of property rights, the destruction of property and the barbarity of criminal practices that should have remained in the past”, says an excerpt from the association’s statement.