MST CPI approves summons of Itesp director – 06/14/2023 – Power

Federal deputies approved this Wednesday (14th) the summoning at the CPI of the MST (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra) of the director of the São Paulo foundation that operates in agreements for the sale of vacant lands to farmers in the state of São Paulo.

The summons of the executive director of Itesp (Fundação Land Institute of the State of São Paulo), Guilherme Piai, as a witness, was made by deputy Luciene Cavalcante (PSOL-SP), to clarify the application of the law that provides for the regularization of areas. When contacted, the foundation stated that the members of the committee are available “to detail the work carried out at the head of the institution”.

As shown to Sheetthe Tarcísio de Freitas government (Republicans) accelerated the process of regularizing vacant lands, with a discount of up to 90% for occupants and based on a law questioned by the PT in the STF (Federal Supreme Court).

Unoccupied lands are public areas occupied irregularly that have never had a destination defined by the government and have never had a private owner.

The law came into force during the management of Rodrigo Garcia (PSDB), but the administration of Tarcísio, elected with the support of the agro, started to put the processes into practice.

The PT filed a direct action of unconstitutionality in the STF to bar the law, and the matter is in the hands of Minister Cármen Lúcia. So far, there are favorable opinions from the PGR (Attorney General of the Republic) and the AGU (Attorney General of the Union).

A video shows Piai mentioning that it is necessary to act in the process “while the law is in force”. “Now a political issue is happening, which also escapes Itesp’s purview, which this law has a great chance of falling”, said Piai in the recording.

The MST’s CPI is reported by Deputy Ricardo Salles (PL-SP) and Bolsonarism’s hope to lash out at the left, which, in turn, takes advantage of the commission to question the São Paulo law.

Luciene Cavalcante claims that Piai needs to explain the rush to apply the law which, according to her, transfers the land “at a bargain price”.

“The president of Itesp needs to explain at the CPI what is behind the agrarian reform for the rich in the state of São Paulo. He needs to explain the rush to put into practice that he tries to regularize the illegal occupation of vacant lands by large landowners”, he says.

Meanwhile, Bolsonaristas act in the CPI to show the ties of the Lula government with the MST.

In the same block in which Piai’s summons was approved, there are requests from Deputy Coronel Assis (União Brasil-MT) questioning the list of members who traveled to China with Lula in April —among them was MST leader João Pedro Stedile.

Another call approved is that of Eduardo Moreira Araújo, from Popular Financing for Healthy Food, “to provide clarification on the performance of this institution with the so-called social movements, in particular, the Landless Rural Workers Movement”. The request is from Gustavo Gayer (PL-GO).

LAND REGULARIZATION LAW

Agreements for the sale of land go through Itesp, are sent to the Secretary of Agriculture for manifestation, and the final decision will be made by the State Attorney General. Itesp argues that it will save values ​​with the processes.

So far, the properties whose agreements were published in the Official Gazette are valued at R$64 million. The total discounts provided, however, add up to R$ 50 million – owners would have to pay only R$ 14 million. The land totals 3,900 hectares, equivalent to 25 areas of Ibirapuera Park. There are still 132 processes that have not reached this stage.

State and federal deputies from São Paulo have been pressing the STF to decide soon.

On the 30th, state deputy Eduardo Suplicy (PT) sent a letter to minister Cármen Lúcia asking for urgency in the judgment of the case —and in which he cites a report by the Sheet. Suplicy and other deputies who signed the document say that suspending the law could avoid the historic mistake of giving up thousands of hectares of land.

The PSOL also entered the matter at the national level, by asking the STF to participate in the PT’s action as amicus curiae, providing subsidies to the process, in an articulation made by Sâmia Bonfim.

A Sheet Itesp defended the legislation. The foundation stated that, in the released video, the director suggests that, as long as the law makes it possible, the procedural instruction for the agreements should be carried out and “in short, the resumption of legal security, peace and development”.

The foundation argues that, instead of losing money, it will save R$40 million with just eight of these properties appraised.

“More appropriate than pointing out the amount of discount given by the state to these individuals, it is to point out the amount that the state will no longer spend with the continuation of the litigation and the need to pay compensation for improvements, as well as how much it will raise for investments in social policies”, says Itesp, in a note.

The body mentions properties eligible for agreement that have not been declared vacant. In Pontal do Paranapanema, 84 actions discriminate against 1.2 million hectares, 29 of which are dismissed, says the foundation. “Therefore, there is no certainty of success in filing discriminatory lawsuits and the agreement for regularization avoids the procedural risk”, says Itesp.