MST 40 years; follow the chronology of the movement – 01/20/2024 – Power

Created in 1984 in the city of Cascavel, in Paraná, the MST (Landless Rural Workers Movement) consolidated itself in the demand for agrarian reform and became notable for the practice of invasions of large estates to settle families, who begin to live and produce in the locations.

Throughout its history, the movement suffered massacres, such as the one in Eldorado do Carajás (PA), admitted to having gone overboard in some actions – such as the invasion of an Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation) farm –, supported the PT, although with criticism of the party regarding agrarian policy, and faced a turbulent period during the administration of Jair Bolsonaro (PL).

See below the chronology of the movement, from the first years of its articulation.

MST chronology

Pregnancy (1979) – Around 110 families invade the Macali farm, in the municipality of Ronda Alta, in Rio Grande do Sul. The act, which took place on September 7, is considered one of the starting points of the MST’s “gestation”.

Idea of ​​creating the movement (1982) – In September, a CPT seminar in Goiânia (GO) brings together 22 pastoral agents and 30 landless leaders, squatters, sharecroppers and tenants, from 17 states. The idea of ​​creating a national landless movement, autonomous from the Catholic Church, is raised.

Creation (1984) – The MST is created during the First National Meeting of Landless Rural Workers, held in January, in Cascavel (PR). The event brings together representatives from 11 states (RS, SC, PR, SP, MS, ES, BA, PA, GO, RO and AC).

1st congress national (1985) – In January, in Curitiba (PR), the MST holds its first national congress. In it, the movement elects the first national leadership, with 20 members, two from each of the following states: RS, SC, PR, MS, SP, RJ, ES, MG, BA and RO. Around 1,500 delegates approved the slogan: “Occupation is the only solution.”

Failure in the Constituent Assembly (1988) – The MST sees the failure of agrarian reform proposals at the end of the Constituent Assembly. At the 4th National Meeting, in Piracicaba (SP), a resolution was approved that aims to elect as many activists as possible in the November municipal elections.

Repression during the Collor government (1990) – In May, the MST organizes the second national congress, in Brasília. And the beginning of the Collor government, and the movement begins to feel repression. Around 4,000 delegates, from 20 states, believe that it is time to leave the isolation of the countryside and seek support in the cities.

Audience with Itamar Franco (1993) – On February 2, representatives of the movement are received by Itamar Franco at Palácio do Planalto, in the MST’s first official audience with a President of the Republic.

3rd Congress National (1995) – Around 5,000 delegates, at the third National Congress of the MST, approved the motto: “Agrarian Reform, A Fight for Everyone”.

Carajás massacre (1996) – On April 17, 19 rural workers linked to the MST are murdered by military police while clearing the PA-150 highway, in Eldorado do Carajás (PA). The case has international repercussions, which strengthens the name of the movement.

Book “Earth” (1997) – In February, a national march led by landless people takes around 50 thousand people to Brasília. On April 17, the day the march arrives, the book “Terra” is launched, with photos by Sebastião Salgado and texts by Portuguese writer José Saramago, accompanied by a song (“Assentamento”) by Chico Buarque.

Wave of invasions (1998) – The MST surprises by promoting a wave of invasions of public buildings and pressing not only for the expropriation of land, but also for credits for new settlers following agrarian reform.

Reflux period (2000) – At a national meeting, it is decided that the national leadership of the movement will be divided equally between men and women. In the same year, the government issues a provisional measure that prevents the expropriation of invaded areas. Because of this, the MST goes into reflux.

Invasion of FHC’s farm (2002) – In March, the MST invades President Fernando Henrique Cardoso’s farm, in Buritis (MG). The government classifies the action as terrorist and the PT, with its eye on the elections, also condemns the attack. In the second semester, the MST works in the election campaign of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Earth CPI (2003) – The MST appears at the center of the first crisis of the PT government. In May, in an audience with landless leaders in the Planalto, Lula dons a red movement cap, and the opposition accuses him of conniving at the land invasions. To investigate the MST, the CPI da Terra was created.

Record number of invasions (2004) – At the end of March, the national coordinator of the MST, João Pedro Stedile, declares that “April will be the red month”, in reference to the movement’s colors spread in actions across the country. The promise is fulfilled. In April, the government registered 109 invasions, 79 of which were carried out by the MST, a record number of actions in a single month.

Historic March (2005) – In May, to put pressure on the Lula government, 15 thousand members of the movement walked the 200 km between Goiânia and Brasília, in the biggest march in the history of the MST. In August, at the height of the Mensalão crisis, the MST joined union and student movements and took to the streets against the opposition’s initiative to suggest the impeachment of the PT president.

Support for Lula (2006) – Despite the slowness of agrarian reform in the first PT term, the MST announces support for Lula in the second round, in the dispute against the toucan Geraldo Alckmin. In an article published in SheetJoão Pedro Stedile states that “it is necessary to stop the right and defeat Alckmin”.

Pressure for reform (2007) – After having spared Lula throughout his first term, in which he focused his pressure on the economic team, the MST leadership decides to aim its attacks directly at President Lula. A poster with the PT member’s photo is spread across the country: “Why isn’t there agrarian reform?”

Letter from Felisburgo (2008) – The MST publishes the “Letter from Felisburgo”, about the massacre that occurred in 2004 in the Vale do Jequitinhonha region, in Minas Gerais. The document describes the situation of the landless and denounces the use of vacant land transferred to companies for planting eucalyptus.

Invasion of Cutrale (2009) – The MST invades the Santo Henrique farm, owned by the orange juice company Cutrale, on the border of the municipalities of Iaras and Lençóis Paulista, in São Paulo. Lula refers to the action as vandalism, and João Pedro Stedile, president of the MST, calls the president ill-informed; the movement admits to having destroyed 3,000 orange trees, but says that accusations of depredation were a setup.

Settlement reduction (2010) – The last year of the Lula government’s second term is marked by a reduction in the number of settled families and the number of hectares dedicated to agrarian reform.

Occupation of the Ministry of Agrarian Development (2012) – In April, the MST occupied the Ministry of Agrarian Development. The demand is for more settlements and punishment for those responsible for the Eldorado do Carajás Massacre, which occurred in 1996. The movement claims that the year is the worst for settlements since 1995.

Criticism of Dilma Rousseff (2014) – MST leaders publish a letter criticizing the government of Dilma Rousseff (PT) regarding agrarian policy. The letter was delivered to the president one day after 30 protesters were injured after a clash with the police during a march that brought together around 15 thousand people in Brasília.

Increase in invasions (2015) – The MST increases the number of invasions. Examples are demonstrations with more than a thousand women who destroyed transgenic seedlings in a paper and cellulose factory in Itapetininga (SP), and at the Ministry of Agriculture, in Brasília.

Protests against impeachment (2016) – On April 26, the MST organizes protests in at least seven states against the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff (PT) and in favor of agrarian reform. The following year, the government of Michel Temer (MDB), seen as a coup by protesters, did not settle any families.

Free Lula Vigil (2018) – The MST participates in the Vigília Lula Livre. Organized by different popular movements, the action followed Lula for 580 days while he was imprisoned in Curitiba, accused of passive corruption and money laundering. Lula was released on November 8, 2019, after the STF understood that defendants can only be detained when there is no longer an appeal pending.

Renewal of violence under Bolsonaro (2019) – The MST reduces invasions in the mandate of Jair Bolsonaro, elected by the PSL, in the face of hostile speech by the then president, who preaches “welcoming land invaders with bullets”. The administration is marked by an increase in violence against the landless.

Food donation (2020) – In the Covid-19 pandemic, the MST stops the invasions and starts a national campaign to donate food produced in the settlements. The movement says it has donated more than 7,000 tons of food and 2 million lunch boxes.

Resumption of invasions (2021) – The MST resumes invasions, which amounted to 14 between 2019 and April 2021. The cooling of the pandemic is accompanied by actions on properties in São Paulo, Bahia, Rio Grande do Norte and other states.

MST CPI (2023) – From January to April, the MST occupies more than 30 rural properties. In the Chamber of Deputies, a CPI is installed to investigate land occupations. At the CPI, João Pedro Stedile admits that the movement was wrong to have invaded an Embrapa (Brazilian Agricultural Research Company) farm on July 31st. The commission ended after 130 days, without a final report.