Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06SAOPAULO332
2006-03-24 18:51:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Consulate Sao Paulo
Cable title:  

LANDLESS MOVEMENT'S EARLY YEAR ACTIVITIES

Tags:  EAGR PREL ELAB PGOV PHUM ECON SOCI ASEC BR 
pdf how-to read a cable
VZCZCXRO1379
OO RUEHRG
DE RUEHSO #0332/01 0831851
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 241851Z MAR 06
FM AMCONSUL SAO PAULO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4765
INFO RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA 5916
RUEHRG/AMCONSUL RECIFE 2799
RUEHRI/AMCONSUL RIO DE JANEIRO 6939
RUEHBU/AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES 2121
RUEHAC/AMEMBASSY ASUNCION 2468
RUEHMN/AMEMBASSY MONTEVIDEO 1884
RUEHSG/AMEMBASSY SANTIAGO 1629
RUEHLP/AMEMBASSY LA PAZ 2673
RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC
RUMIAAA/USCINCSO MIAMI FL
RUEHRC/USDA FAS WASHDC 0609
RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC 2338
RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SAO PAULO 000332 

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SCRONIN
STATE PASS USTR MSULLIVAN/KLEZNY
DEPT FOR WHA/BSC, DS/IP/WHA, DS/DSS/ITA

DEPT OF TREASURY FOR FPARODI
USDOC FOR 332/ITA/MAC/WH/OLAC/JANDERSEN/
ADRISCOLL/MWARD
USDOC ALSO FOR 3134/USFCS/OIO/EOLSON/
DDEVITO/DANDERSON
DOL FOR ILAB MMITTELHAUSER

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR PREL ELAB PGOV PHUM ECON SOCI ASEC BR
SUBJECT: LANDLESS MOVEMENT'S EARLY YEAR ACTIVITIES
LEAD WAY TO ANNUAL "RED APRIL"

REF: A) 05 Sao Paulo 554 AND PREVIOUS

B) 05 Brasilia 2692

SUMMARY
-------

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SAO PAULO 000332

SIPDIS

NSC FOR SCRONIN
STATE PASS USTR MSULLIVAN/KLEZNY
DEPT FOR WHA/BSC, DS/IP/WHA, DS/DSS/ITA

DEPT OF TREASURY FOR FPARODI
USDOC FOR 332/ITA/MAC/WH/OLAC/JANDERSEN/
ADRISCOLL/MWARD
USDOC ALSO FOR 3134/USFCS/OIO/EOLSON/
DDEVITO/DANDERSON
DOL FOR ILAB MMITTELHAUSER

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: EAGR PREL ELAB PGOV PHUM ECON SOCI ASEC BR
SUBJECT: LANDLESS MOVEMENT'S EARLY YEAR ACTIVITIES
LEAD WAY TO ANNUAL "RED APRIL"

REF: A) 05 Sao Paulo 554 AND PREVIOUS

B) 05 Brasilia 2692

SUMMARY
--------------


1. (SBU) Land invasions led by the Movimento dos
Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (Landless
Rural Workers Movement - MST) and allied groups
have begun in the Sao Paulo Consular District
(southern and part of southeastern Brasil) in
anticipation of the annual Red April protests
(ref A). Early March MST activity has occurred
nationwide, with a number of invasions in Sao
Paulo, Parana, Rio Grande do Sul, and Mato
Grosso do Sul states since the beginning of
the year. Two thousand members of a women's
movement apparently allied with MST gained
extensive and negative press coverage for
their destruction of private agribusiness
property, including seedlings, research results,
and laboratory facilities, valued at USD 400,000.
Despite an active early year, "Red April" of 2005
in the Sao Paulo Consular district was relatively
quiet, in deference to the recently deceased Pope
John Paul II and in preparation for the nationwide
protest march that occurred in May 2005. There
are clear indications, however, that invasions
and protests in 2006 will be more vigorous. END
SUMMARY.

EARLY YEAR INVASIONS
--------------


2. (U) The first months of 2006 have seen a spate
of land invasions in the Pontal do Paranapanema in
the far west of Sao Paulo state, and in Rio Grande
do Sul, BrazilQs southernmost state. On January 7,
the MST conducted its largest land invasion since
2003 in the Pontal, as over 500 landless workers
invaded eight farms. According to the invasion

coordinator, Vagumiar Nunes, the January action
was a protest against the broken promises of Sao
Paulo Governor (and now opposition presidential
candidate) Geraldo Alckmin, who, during his
gubernatorial campaign in 2002, pledged to "settle"
1,400 landless families. (NOTE: The Pontal region
has traditionally been a focus of land disputes due
to a history of forged land deeds and illegal sales
of property, resulting in possession of the land by
now wealthy and established farmers. In some cases,
the state has sought to reclaim title, and the
ambiguity is exploited by MST. END NOTE) In Rio
Grande do Sul, the 2,000 landless workers occupying
a 7,000 hectare ranch, Fazenda Coqueiros, received
word that they will have to depart, by order of civil
judge Orlando Faccini Neto. The current occupation
of Fazenda Coqueiros is the fourth invasion of the
property since 2004. (NOTE: Brigadier Colonel Waldir
Cerutti reportedly stated that nearly 600 military
police would be needed to oust the occupiers. END
NOTE.)


3. Allied with the QVia CampesinaQ Rural Movement
and foreign NGOs, MST has registered the largest

SAO PAULO 00000332 002 OF 003


number of early-year land invasions in the past five
years. (NOTE: In an interesting March 9 photo in the
large-circulation daily QO Estado de Sao Paulo,Q MST
leader Joao Pedro Stedile is seen at a demonstration
in bright green Via Campesina hat and scarf, rather
than the usual red MST gear. END NOTE.) In addition
to its land invasions, MST has also established a
Qparallel conferenceQ near the site of the March
20-31 8th Conference of the Parties (COP-8) to the
UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in
Curitiba, Parana state. Demonstrations have been
peaceful.

LONG-TIME MST LEADER PUNISHED BY SUPERIORS
--------------


4. (U) Jose Rainha Jr., long-time prominent MST
leader in the Pontal do Paranapanema, was recently
divested of responsibility by MST higher-ups for
failure to obey orders and to follow the principles
and norms of the movement. He is accused of
participating in "isolated and individual
negotiations and acts without authority" of the MST
hierarchy. The media reported MST leadershipQs
unhappiness with a public embrace of President Luiz
Inacio Lula da Silva by Rainha when the two met
during a series of invasions of public buildings
last September in northern Brazil. MST authorities
have forbidden Rainha to speak on behalf of the
movement. MST leadership, dissatisfied with the
slow rate of land redistribution in the country,
has stepped up its criticism of the Brazilian j
ustice system, arguing that it serves the needs
of the landholding elite. MST spokesperson Jaime
Amorim reported that there is a belief among
Brazilian judges that the landless movement is
criminal and should be treated as such.

AGRI-BUSINESS ATTACKED
--------------


5. (U) On March 8, 2000, women militants of the
"Movimento das Mulheres Camponesas (Peasant Women's
Movement)," a group apparently allied with the
MST and Via Campesina, invaded an agri-business
facility in Rio Grande do Sul. The attackers
destroyed research files, experimental seedlings,
and other property at the Aracruz Cellulose company
installation. Aracruz Cellulose, a Brazilian
leader in breeding and development of primary
stock for silviculture, claims to have lost twenty
years of research in breeding and propagation
studies. On March 15, 600 rural activists invaded
an experimental farm of the multinational Syngenta
Seeds in rural Parana state, in protest of their
use of GMOs. According to press reports, the
government plans to prosecute MST leader Stedile
for his public comments in support of the attack
on Aracruz Cellulose, which caused USD 400,000
worth of damage.


6. (SBU) Just days after the March 14 announcement
as the Brazilian Social Democracy PartyQs (PSDB)
presidential nominee, Sao Paulo governor Geraldo
Alckmin stated that he believes the MST has

SAO PAULO 00000332 003 OF 003


traded its original agenda of legitimate agrarian
reform for "vandalism." Alckmin was quoted in
the press as saying that "invading laboratories
and research centers has nothing to do with
agrarian reform." When asked how he would reform
agriculture if elected President, Alckmin stated
that while agrarian reform is necessary, mere land
redistribution is not enough. Technical support is
essential, as is selection of those likely to have
success working the land.

COMMENT: NOT MUCH SYMPATHY FROM PRESS OR PUBLIC
-------------- --


7. (SBU) MST leadership has promised an active
early year, filled with land invasions, highway
shutdowns and other demonstrations, before the
country turns its attention to the World Cup in
June and the election campaign later in the year.
Press reporting of the rural protest activities is
particularly heavy this year, and much of it is
negative. The popular Brazilian weekly QVeja
compared the March 8 actions of women militants
against the Aracruz Cellulose facility to the
burning of books by Nazi Germany or the Spanish
Inquisition. Public opinion is also critical:
According to a recent poll conducted by the
Brazilian Institute for Public Opinion and
Education (IBOPE),56 percent of those surveyed
held a negative view of MSTQs actions, 76 percent
believed invasions of privately held land weakens
democracy, and 67 percent believed that the
government is not able to control the invasions.
MST, however, purportedly does not care. As another
leader, Jaime Amorim, put it, QWeQre not worried
about our image.Q End comment.

MCMULLEN