Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
05BRASILIA2692
2005-10-11 13:04:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Brasilia
Cable title:  

BRAZIL'S LANDLESS MOVEMENT INVADES AMERICAN-OWNED

Tags:  PGOV PREL SOCI BR TIP 
pdf how-to read a cable
This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.
C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 002692 

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREL SOCI BR TIP
SUBJECT: BRAZIL'S LANDLESS MOVEMENT INVADES AMERICAN-OWNED
FARM

REF: BRASILIA 1317

Classified By: Political Counselor Dennis Hearne for reasons 1.4
(B) an
d (D).

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BRASILIA 002692

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/10/2015
TAGS: PGOV PREL SOCI BR TIP
SUBJECT: BRAZIL'S LANDLESS MOVEMENT INVADES AMERICAN-OWNED
FARM

REF: BRASILIA 1317

Classified By: Political Counselor Dennis Hearne for reasons 1.4
(B) an
d (D).


1. (U) Summary. Between three and five hundred members of
Brazil's Landless Movement (MST) invaded AgroReservas do
Brazil, an American-owned farm management company based out
of Utah, as part of its "Red September" offensive, launched
during the week of September 26. The MST's actions are aimed
at pressuring President Lula da Silva to provide more
resources for agrarian reform, and to fulfill his promise to
resettle 400,000 families on undeveloped land by 2006.
During the week, the MST invaded government buildings, farms,
Banco do Brasil agencies, and toll bridges throughout the
country. MST members have invaded and are currently living
in private homes on the AgroReservas property in Minas
Gerais. Military police officers have provided protection to
the farm, and have confined the MST to the housing area of
the farm. The farm's manager is hopeful that an eviction
order will be issued to the MST during the week of October

10. End summary.

RED SEPTEMBER
--------------

2. (U) During the week of September 26, approximately 15,000
members of Brazil's Landless Movement (O Movimento dos Sem
Terra/MST) launched "Red September," a series of land
occupations, demonstrations, and press conferences to
pressure President Lula da Silva's government to devote more
resources to agrarian reform, and to fulfill his 2002
campaign promise to settle 400,000 landless families by 2006.
Other MST demands include greater GOB funding for family
farming and the creation of a special credit program for
resettled families.


3. (U) According to the MST, the GOB resettled 11,000
families last year, and between January and August of this
year, the GOB resettled 4,000 families. Ministry of Agrarian
Reform Executive Secretary Guilherme Cassel disputed the
MST's statistics by claiming that the GOB resettled more than
50,000 families this year. Cassel admitted that the
resettlement process has been slow, but blamed the delay on
MST families who failed to provide basic identification
information, such as Brazilian social security numbers, after

being selected for resettlement.


4. (U) During the week, the MST occupied 26 National
Institute for Colonization and Land Reform (INCRA) buildings,
13 Banco do Brasil agencies, and seven toll bridges in 20
states. The MST announced on September 27 that it would
continue land and building occupations until the GOB met the
group's demands. The group regularly employs the tactic of
occupying farmland by hundreds of landless families until the
government cedes title. In recent years, the MST has become
more belligerent and more likely to invade government
buildings, farms, or land owned by multinationals.

MST INVADES AMERICAN OWNED FARM
--------------

5. (C) On September 25, AgroReservas do Brazil, an
American-owned farm, was invaded by 300-500 MST members who
moved into employees' homes, blocked access roads, cut down
trees, and demanded 10,000 hectares of the property's
farmable land. The 70,000 hectare farm is owned by the Farm
Management Company in Salt Lake City, Utah, and employs 300
Brazilians and four Americans. Although farm employees have
not been able to access the housing area since the invasion
began, they have been able to feed 7,000 cattle by entering
the farm through neighboring farms, the farm's manager Macedo
Genevil told Embassy Agricultural Attache. According to
Genevil, military police officials have confined the MST to
the housing area on the property, and farming equipment has
not been damaged.


6. (C) The Minas Gerais state government has agreed to send
an undisclosed number of military police to the farm, but
before the police can be mobilized, a state judge must issue
an eviction order against the MST. During the week of
September 26, the state judge decided to negotiate with MST
leaders before issuing an eviction order, and Minas Gerais
military police agreed to remain on the farm until the
negotiations have concluded. A Police Commander told Embassy
Legal Attache on September 30 that the judicial process to
evict the MST could be lengthy, and labor union laws and
inadequate staffing may require the state government to cease
police protection in the near future.


7. (C) Genevil subsequently told Embassy Agricultural Attache
that the judge who wanted to negotiate with the MST has been
replaced by a "new, more reasonable judge." Genevil sounded
pleased with this decision and believed that an eviction
order would be issued during the week of October 10.
According to Genevil, the police will remain on the property
until after farm managers meet with the military police chief
to request a one week extension for police protection on
October 5.

COMMENT:
--------------

8. (SBU) AgroReservas is one of the largest and most
technically advanced farms in Brazil, and the Foreign
Agricultural Service often takes visitors such as the
American Farmers Union and the American Farm Bureau to the
farm to show the scale of farm operations in Brazil. This
invasion marks the first time that the MST has occupied an
American farm, and while the invasion of the farm causes
concern, post does not believe that the invasion was linked
to the farm's connections to the United States. Embassy
Agricultural Attache believes that AgroReservas was targeted
because the farm is one of the largest and most profitable
farms in the state. If this conflict is resolved quickly,
post believes that the farm will sustain only nominal damage
to homes and other items on the property. However, if the
judicial process delays eviction of the MST and police
protection ceases, the farm will remain unattended, leaving
the farming system and its profits in jeopardy.

DANILOVICH