The Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) against the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) came to an end this Wednesday (27) resulting in a political defeat for the “agromilitary” caucus of the parliament. In the end, the far right was unable to submit the report prepared by Ricardo Salles to a vote.
The CPI did not bring forward or examine the real problems in the countryside, on the contrary, it was another political platform for the right -wing supporters of ex-president Jair Bolsonaro to advance in the historic process of criminalizing the struggle in defense of Agrarian Reform, seeking to investigate and criminalize the legitimate occupations carried out by the MST throughout this year. It is in this context that the CPI ignores the main agrarian problems in Brazil caused by agribusiness, such as the growing deforestation and fires, land grabbing, violence in the countryside, the super-exploitation of labor based on the use of labor in condition likened to slavery, and the destruction and contamination of natural resources through the use of pesticides.
Furthermore, we understand that the Commission, as well as the measures they adopted and the report itself, were forms of intimidation and persecution against Landless leaders who fight for the democratization of access to land and for a popular project in Brazil.
In a country where Brazilian men and women still go hungry, we repudiate the final report presented by the Commission and point out the need to position the legitimacy of the struggle for land and Agrarian Reform as central elements to discuss in the development of a political project for the countryside, to confront social inequalities and guarantee the right to live and produce healthy food.
We highlight that the MST was not alone in the fight against the attempted criminalization promoted by the CPI. There were months of solidarity from thousands of social organizations in Brazil, through the MST em Debate platform. Through it, the Movement received almost 65 thousand signatures from Brazilians, in addition to hundreds of notes and motions of support. At an international level, with the “I’m with the MST” platform, almost a thousand individual signatures were registered, from more than 400 representatives of international organizations or movements, from 93 countries.
Having overcome yet another attempt at criminalization, we will continue to fight. This CPI has never intimidated the historic banner of Agrarian Reform, for which we will march until the land is a common good for everyone in Brazil. We will not back down from the task of feeding the Brazilian people with dignity and social justice.
We keep on fighting! We keep on building Popular Agrarian Reform!
Landless Rural Workers Movement – MST
September 27, 2023
