Brazil: The Agrarian Reality and the Central Role of the Peasant Struggle

The struggle for land and the brutal suppression of the peasant population: the ongoing account of the reality of the agrarian question in Brazil

The huge monopolisation of the land ownership by the ”Latifundio” (the big landowners) in Brazil continues to rise and it is the basis of the history of the ongoing economic and social crisis in the country and, it is at the same time, the basis of current intensification conflicts. Only 2% of landowners (around 23,000) with properties above 1000 hectares hold almost 50% of all land titles in the country (210.5 million hectares)! While 90% of those (4.95 million peasant families), small holders (with properties of up to one hundred hectares) hold only 20% of them (84.1 million hectares)! The medium landowners (with properties of a hundred thousand hectares) that are 8% (440.000) hold the remaining 125.9 million hectares. Besides this there are about 5 million landless peasant families.(*)
This structure of land ownership, that maintains and reproduces the archaic semi-feudal system, is the basis on which imperialism has developed bureaucratic capitalism – that is backward capitalism through which monopoly capital, i.e. imperialism, has imposed in dominated countries. Capitalism, of the bureaucratic type, was developed in Brazil when capitalism had passed to its monopoly stage, i.e. the imperialist phase – in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century.
It was propelled forwards mainly by British imperialism in alliance with the big landowners (the rural landowning oligarchies) and large local merchants and importers. The nascent bourgeoisie was weak and having stagnated because capital was already in the imperialist phase, could not advance forward the bourgeois revolution in Brazil. It is also true that the nascent proletariat was unable to lead and advance the national-democratic revolution to its end, leaving it in an incomplete state. This was caused by the weaknesses of the Communist Party, which did not understand its role. A role that under the circumstances at the time demanded that a bourgeois revolution could only be carried out under its leadership. A revolutionary leadership that was based on the worker-peasant alliance and a united front with the small and medium bourgeoisie, conducted through revolutionary armed struggle in order that, on the one hand, it must remove the domination of landowners, destroy the old relations of land ownership, give the land to those who work on it and free the productive forces of the field. On the other hand, it must wipe the imperialist domination and confiscate all the bureaucratic capital (state and non-state), centralizing everything in the hands of the new popular state to promote a new self-reliant economy geared to serve the welfare of the people, advancing new democracy and promote a new culture.
Without these tasks being fulfilled, the fundamental and root causes of the contradictions remain intact, semi-feudal relations continue to remain with some evolution in its forms, consequently determine that Brazil would continue to remain a backward country. Under such conditions all that is called development and industrialization has only deepened the denationalization of the economy and its subjugation to mainly American imperialism.

Brazil: During World Cup Protests, “Free Saibaba” Banners Fly

Brazilian Center of Solidarity with the Peoples – Cebraspo June 13, 2014 Even as popular resistance to the FIFA-excused theft of public resources continued to grow, activists demonstrated on June 12, in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais State, Brazil, demanding the immediate release of the professor in India, Dr. GN Saibaba, who was abducted and arrested by the Indian fascist state on May 9. GN Saibaba is Delhi University professor of English literature, an active defender of the rights of the people and democracy. Demand the Operation Green Hunt (the war of the Indian State Against the People in India)! Freedom for all political prisoners!

 

Brazil: Poor Peasants League Honors Revolutionary Martyr Renato as Land Struggle Advances

Vibrant Rally in honor of Renato and against the criminalization of land struggle

Written by LCP Rondônia and Western Amazon, Published on 10/04/2013

On April 9, Jaru was shaken by a vibrant rally and demonstration in honor of the companion Renato and denunciation of his barbaric murder a year ago. The action was also taken in support of new land seizures in the region of Jaru and new campaign against criminalization of the struggle for land, commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Ênedy, the 7th Battalion of the PM.

The ceremony and demonstration were attended by about 300 people from the four corners of Rondônia, most poor farmers, campers on the land conquered by the Agrarian Revolution. Attended areas: Canaan, the Sun Ray and Renato Nathan 2, Lamarca, Spring and Palmares – Ariquemes, Jaru and Theobroma; Jacinópolis – the region of Buritis; Bentão Zé Renato and Nathan – the region Corumbiara. And yet, the new camps Theobroma: Fortaleza, Bom Futuro, Zé Porphyry farm and camp Arizona 2.

The action was sponsored by Cebraspo – Brazilian Center of Solidarity with the Peoples, the Poor Peasants League of Rondônia and western Amazonia, and the National Leagues of Poor Peasants. Also participating were students, teachers, lawyers, workers, representatives of various democratic movements and entities of Jaru, Rolim de Moura, Porto Velho, Belo Horizonte and Rio de Janeiro:, IHG – Human Rights Institute Helena Grecco, CPT – Pastoral Land Commission Rondônia, DCE Merge – Central Directory of Students of the Federal University of Rondonia, MEPR – Popular Revolutionary Student Movement, Workers League, Sledgehammer – Workers Union of Construction, Moclate – Classista Movement of Workers Education, Catholic Church of Jaru.

The interventions of the peasants and representatives of organizations and movements saluted the memory of the great leader Renato, a peasant who lived, worked and fought among peasants in Corumbiara, Machadinho D’Oeste, Jacinópolis and Jaru. Wherever he went, there was only talk:

– When I was sick, Renato knocked on my door to help me.

– I had so much work, every afternoon the fellow came to my house and was chopping wood for me.

– This bridge and this road was Renato’s idea, so we organized and built on our strengths.

– If not for the Teacher, we would not have this school.

Renato encouraged the people to fight for their rights, not to have illusions about electoral candidates and the “authorities” of governments, relying only on the strength of our organization and militant struggle. Therefore Renato was murdered.

Brazil: Landless Peasant Movement facing violent repression

[See the following statement from CEBRASPO.  The rough English translation is followed by the Portuguese original text. — Frontlines ed.]

CEBRASPO — Brazilian Center of Solidarity with the Peoples

Manga, November 23, 2012 

Cowardly attack by gunmen against families who occupied the farm Beirada  

Criminals!

Cabral and his band of gunmen attacked the peasant families who occupied the Beirada the night of Nov. 22.

Swine!

Cabral went into the occupation with his truck, said to be the “owner” of Beirada and threatened families.

The gunmen were recognized by the peasants and the people are old acquaintances Manga: Frederick Alencar, Ulysses Alencar, William (farm worker), Arnold (Three Rivers), Adalto (official Didimag), Afonso (Boa Vista), Dico (Boa Vista), Mark (New Brasília), Bira and Fabio (wanted for armed robbery at gas station in Ypiranga Manga), Isaiah, Roger Cabral, Toinzinho (New Brasília). All armed by landowners to keep land in the Beirada completely unproductive, and people in poverty.

Cowards!

On the morning of 22, gunmen attacked the families who were camped in a shed of Beirada. Fired guns at them, dropped bombs, and set fire to the families’ belongings. These cowards fired on children, and raided and burned the rooms where they slept. They threatened them with death.

Brazilian activists in solidarity with Lonmin mine workers in South Africa

Centro Brasileiro de Solidariedade aos Povos (CEBRASPO) (The Brazilian Center of Solidarity with the Peoples) repudiates massacre of miners in South Africa

The Brazilian Center of Solidarity with the Peoples vehemently repudiates the cowardly murder of the mine workers of platinum company Lonmin PLC, in Marikana in northwest South Africa, on strike for better wages and rights. The brutal massacre occurred on Thursday, August 16, at the time the workers were protesting. The police mounted a siege against workers with rifles, shooting and killing dozens of people. To date, 36 deaths have been confirmed. According to the South African Ministry of Police, there could be an increase in the number of fatalities, since “a lot of people got hurt.”

Hundreds of miners participated in the protest. Some media has described what happened as “confrontational.” Actually, what happened was not a confrontation but a massacre, because police forces with heavy weapons fired on striking workers as they rallied for fair treatment, armed only with sticks and rocks. The fascist character of the oppressive, violent and murderous state has been exposed. The vicious apparatus of apartheid continues to work in South Africa, with this continuation of the history of class hatred against hardworking black people.

What happened in South Africa is shocking in its barbarism and cowardice, in denying workers the right to express themselves and to fight for dignity and respect for their rights.  It is  a form of fascism. Such cowardly massacres have occurred in various parts of the world and people are responding to this by increasing their resistance against the capitalist system, now in its deepest crisis.

Against the country’s policy of apartheid!
Down with fascism!
Defeat the repression against workers in struggle around the world!

CEBRASPO
Brazilian Center of Solidarity with the Peoples
http://www.cebraspo.org.br

August 17, 2012.