MST should start vacating invaded areas in Petrolina and Aracruz

Members of the Landless Workers Movement (MST) should begin to vacate next week areas belonging to the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), in Petrolina (PE), and the multinational company Suzano, in Aracruz (ES). The MST received notification of the reintegration order for Embrapa’s 46-hectare area on Thursday (20). In a meeting between representatives of the MST, the Ministry of Agrarian Development (MDA) and the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (Incra) Incra, it was defined that the condition for eviction is that the government create settlements for 800 families, in areas to be be indicated for expropriation in Petrolina and Lagoa Grande (PE). In the coming days, the movement confirmed that it will gradually vacate the Embrapa area. In the case of the 200 families that occupied areas of Suzano, in Espírito Santo, the eviction of the 8,039-hectare area will be completed by the end of next week, following the necessary legal protocols for the families to leave. The protocol provides for the definition of the place where the families will be taken, the presence of an ambulance and social action and human rights services. In a note, the MST of Espírito Santo declared that it understands that such measures are necessary measures for the preservation of the physical integrity of the camped families. Meeting with the Minister of Finance Last Thursday (20), the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, met with MST leaders. According to the national coordinator of the movement, João Paulo Rodrigues, the minister made an appeal for the group to vacate the invaded areas of Embrapa, in Pernambuco, and of the company Suzano, in Espírito Santo. “We have a commitment that we are going to vacate Suzano’s area, and also the area related to Embrapa. We are just looking for a place to take the families,” said Rodrigues. The coordinator of the social movement also stated that Minister Fernando Haddad promised to increase the budget dedicated to the settlement of camped families from 250 million to 400 million reais. According to the MST leader, there are 5 million hectares of Union debtors in the hands of less than a thousand owners who, together, owe R$40 billion to the Brazilian state.

Agência Brasil