In a Senate hearing, minister Carlos Fávaro criticized the land invasions that the MST has been carrying out this year.| Photo: Joedson Alves/EFE

Minister Carlos Fávaro, of Agriculture and Livestock, criticized the recent invasions promoted by the Landless Workers Movement (MST) in several states of Brazil, but defended the trip that the leader of the movement, João Pedro Stédile, made to China with the entourage by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (PT), last month.

The statements were given during a hearing of the Agriculture Commission in the Federal Senate this Thursday morning (4). To the senators, Fávaro defended the “social” role of the movement in asking for agrarian reform for farmers who do not have an area to plant.

But, he criticized the action of promoting the invasion of lands in a government that “is open to dialogue” and that brought the MST to also participate in the so-called “Council” of the Republic.

“It is not up to my understanding why a movement will invade land. It is not conceivable to support the invasion of land, and for my part I will never do it”, he said, emphasizing that requests for agrarian reform must be made within the law.

Fávaro also criticized the contrary statements about the invitation made to Stédile to travel to China, saying that there were no questions about the more than 100 businessmen who participated in the entourage. “Why can’t a trade unionist be part of the presidential entourage to also go and look for opportunities”, he questioned.

Since the beginning of the year, the MST has already invaded at least 35 properties across the country, the most recent being three areas in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, in the last week. The leader of the movement, João Pedro Stédile, is also the target of a criminal notice at the Attorney General’s Office of the State of São Paulo for inciting the invasion of land in the country.