MST nods to Lula and rules out wave of invasions in April – 04/11/2023 – Panel

The national coordinator of the MST (Movement of Landless Rural Workers), João Paulo Rodrigues, rules out promoting a wave of property invasions during the Red April, the movement’s annual day of actions to remember the Eldorado do Carajás massacre (1996) and draw attention for the agrarian reform agenda.

In an interview this Tuesday (11), Rodrigues said that occupations should occur occasionally, but not dozens or even hundreds, which characterizes the MST’s annual journey.

Since the beginning of the month, MST members have already invaded an area in Pernambuco and the Incra superintendence in Alagoas, commanded by César Lira, cousin of the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira (PP-AL).

“We carried out 16 land occupations in 2023. Possibly there will be more mobilization next week, which can take place in marches, assemblies, acts in capitals, in legislative assemblies. We are saying that there is no day of land occupations”, said the leader of the MST.

“Jornada, when the MST organizes it, has 60, 80, 200 occupations, as we have already done. We have approximately 600 camps, which could carry out occupations. There is no such thing. slave, and also carry out activities in front of Incra and ministries, but not any decision by our organization to carry out any occupation of Incra and so on”, he added.

In his speech, Rodrigues said that one of the tasks of the MST currently is to defend the government of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). Another task, according to him, is to fight against the Central Bank’s interest rate policy, also chosen as a target by the PT president.

The federal government has been pressured by agribusiness wings and the rural parliamentary caucus regarding MST actions. The announcement that the movement will not carry out a day of invasions should start to loosen the relationship.

Even so, Rodrigues drew attention to the Lula government’s delay in appointing superintendents for Incra, the body responsible for agrarian reform. According to him, the militants in the field have had to deal with Bolsonarist superintendents like César Lira.

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