e Paz).

Number 220, March 21, 1996.

LAND ISSUES

- Landless prisoners are freed by Superior Justice Tribunal.

On March 12 the Superior Justice Tribunal freed four

landless leaders who had been imprisoned in the State of Sao

Paulo on January 25 - Diolinda Alves de Souza, Felinto Procopio

dos Santos, Claudemir Marques Cano and Laercio Barbosa. The

unanimous decision of the Tribunal also was extended to Jose

Rainha and Marcos Barreto who were in hiding following the

issuing of their prison orders. The background to the

imprisonment has been outlined in recent numbers of NEWS FROM

BRAZIL.

The five judges who examined the case argued that the

prisoners were not guilty of gang formation. It was on this

accusation that they had been imprisoned in January when landless

rural workers had occupied ranches in the Pontal do Paranapanema

region of Sao Paulo. A number of the judges commented on the fact

that agrarian reform is a constitutional right. One of the

judges, Ademar Maciel, commented on the land ownership situation

in the country and defending the landless leaders questioned if

the movement represented by the prisoners could not be termed an

agrarian reform made from the bottom up because of popular demand

since the government has not carried out such a reform. The judge

went on to question if the landless were not exercising a right

of resistance given the fact of the serious land problems and

that the government has not carried out an agrarian reform.

Lawyer Luiz Eduardo Greenhalg who defended the prisoners

commented that the judges " demanded an agrarian reform of the

government and defeated the argument of gang formation, re-

establishing the right of the landless to answer the accusations

in freedom". The Movement of Landless Workers (MST) to which the

prisoners belonged commented that "during their days in prison

our companions received innumerous messages of solidarity which

show that society does not accept judgments which define the

struggle for land as a crime. The MST considers this decision of

the Supreme Justice Tribunal as an important victory because it

shows that important segments of the judiciary understand the

social and just character of our struggle to democratize land and

politics in Brazil". Referring to her time in prison Diolinda

Alves de Souza remarked that "our organization was not damaged.

We really won. This is shown by the repercussion which happened.

However we are in the struggle for a bigger victory which is an

agrarian reform in the Pontal do Paranapanema region and in the

rest of the country".

Meanwhile, the MST has decided to give priority during the next few weeks to the organization of what it calls a "via-sacra"

or march in favor of agrarian reform. The march will be made to

the capital cities of 21 states as well as to the federal

capital, Brasilia. The marchers should arrive in the capitals on

April 21. In Sao Paulo, using the religious symbolism of Good

Friday, the march is expected to start from two points in the

interior of the state - Soracaba and Campinas on April 05. The

organization also plans to initiate a registry of unemployed in

the favelas (shanty-towns) of Sao Paulo who would like to return

to rural areas.

On March 14 approximately 3 thousand landless families left

the Macacheira ranch in the municipality of Curionopolis, State

of Para, which they had occupied nine days earlier. They set up a

campment in a neighboring area where they expect to remain for 30

days while they negotiate with INCRA (the federal land agency)

and the state government about areas where they can be settled.

SOCIAL ISSUES

- Income gap increases in Brazil.

According to a survey carried out in 1993 by the Brazilian

Institute of Geography and Economics (IBGE) and published on

March 21 the number of workers in Brazil officially registered in

the work-force fell from 58.5% in 1990 to 50.9%. On the other

hand the number of informal workers (street vendors for example)

increased from 35% of the total work-force in 1990 to 38.6% in

1993.

One of the consequences of this trend is that the number of

contributors to the government's social welfare system fell from

29.5 million contributors in 1990 to 28.7 million in 1993.

Unemployment in Brazil according to the survey figures almost

doubled during this period - from 3.7% in 1990 to 6.8% in 1993.

The economically active population (those who are working or

seeking employment ) stood at approximately 71 million people in

1993. 66.6 million were working and 4.4 million were unemployed.

The survey compared the concentration of riches between 1983

and 1993. In this period the concentration of riches in the hands

of the poorest 10% of the population fell from 0.9% to 0.7% of

the total. On the other hand, the richest 10% of the Brazilian

population which controlled 48.1% in 1983 controlled 49.8% in

1993. The richest 1% of the population controlled 14% of the

riches in 1983 and 16% in 1993.

16% of the total Brazilian population or a total of 23.6

million people no longer live in the state in which they were

born according to the survey. Moreover, a total of 40 million no

longer live in the municipality in which they were born. Of the

total population 15.1% of all women and 13.6% of the total number

of males completed second level (high school) education. Other

interesting statistics revealed in the survey show that in 1993,

22% of all families had a woman as head of the household as

compared to 17% in 1983. The illiteracy rate of adolescents

between 10 and 14 years fell from 19.4% in 1983 to 11.4% in 1993.

In 1993, 29% of workers earned up to a minimum monthly salary (US

$100) and 1.6% earned up to US $2000 per month. The average

monthly salary of registered workers stood at US $350.

- Reduced spending on health and education.

According to an article in the "Folha de Sao Paulo" on March

16, President Cardoso spent less on health and education during

his first year as president (1995) than he did during 1994 when

he was Minister for Finance. The drop in investment in education

when 1994 is compared to 1995 is 35.22% and 28.29% in health.

The fact that government spending fell only by 1.33% from

1994 to 1995 shows that funds which could have been used in

health and education were spent in other areas. In real terms

this means that approximately US $430 million less was spent on

education and US $175 million less on health during 1995.

The chief area which gained with the cut-backs in health and

education was transport which received US $990 million or a 40%

increase over 1994. A large part of this amount was spent on

three of the ten major projects of the federal government for

1995 - recuperation of the roads (US $190 million); preventative

conservation of roads (US $ 140 million) and the modernization of

the urban train system (US $125 million).

The second area which saw a significant increase in

government spending during 1995 was defense and public security

(approximately US $850 million). The military projects for

example were amongst the largest 21 government projects during

the first year of the Cardoso government. These were the re-

equipping of the army (approximately US $170 million) and of the

navy (US $100 million) as well as the building of the AMX

fighter plane (just over US $60 million).

During 1995, government spending on agriculture rose by

408%. Here the three areas which received the largest grants were

support for the small rural producer (US $165 million);

irrigation schemes (US $101 million) and research (US $52

million). Investments in housing also increased by 244% or by US

$ 60 million during 1995.

The 1996 estimates of government spending show that

approximately US $360 million less will be spent on education

than during 1994 - this represents a difference of 29.5%.

Military spending however will be in the region of US $1.1

billion. The area most favored in the 1996 estimates is

transport. Here the government will invest just over US $2

billion or approximately 25% of its funds for 1996. The spending

on housing is projected to rise steeply as well and will be

approximately US $560 million. The health system hopes to gain

significantly during 1996 from a new tax which yet depends on the

national Congress for its approval.

- Without reforms Brazil is dealing with a "time-bomb" says

World Bank.

The new head of World Bank operations in Brazil, Homi

Kharas, commented last week that Brazil has been dealing with its

economic deficits by internal borrowing attracted by high

interest. "This strategy has limitations which even those

responsible for monetary policies do not know. It is necessary to

carry out a fiscal reform and avoid the explosion of a time-

bomb.... the principal reforms such as the social security and in

the administrative and fiscal areas have not yet been made. But

we trust that they will be carried out" he commented.

On March 14, two days after Mr. Kharas comments, the

Brazilian ambassador in Washington, Paulo de Tarso Flecha de Lima

sent a letter to the president of the World Bank, James

Wolfensohn criticizing the remarks. The ambassador demanded in

the letter that the World Bank make a public apology to the

Brazilian government. "It is unacceptable that a lower scale

functionary of the World Bank considers it just to issue a

totally untrue judgment about the economic policy of Brazil"

commented ambassador Lima in his letter. A note released by the

director of the Brazil Department of the World Bank, Gobind

Nankani, praised the continued success of the economic

stabilization plan in Brazil and commented that the World Bank

supports fully the policies of the Brazilian government in this

area.

Brazilian economic statistics however show cause for

concern. The internal federal debt increased by US $10 billion

last month alone rising from US $117.001 to US $127.353 billion.

The internal debt has doubled since the stabilization plan (the

Plano Real) was introduced in July 1994. Then the internal debts

of the government amounted to US $61.765 billion. An emergency

plan to save the ailing government bank (Banco do Brazil)

announced on March 21 will raise the government's debt by at

least another US $2.32 billion.

- Statistics show that economy is in decline.

During the month of February 132 companies were closed in

the city of Sao Paulo. This compares with 37 in January. The

February statistic is an all time high since figures have been

recorded by the Commercial Association of the State of Sao Paulo

whose records date back to 1960. The previous highest figure was

in July of 1980 when 126 companies were closed.

According to spokespersons of associations representing the

companies, the closures are due to the restriction on credit and

rising interest rates which has been happening since last year.

The number of closures in previous months had also been on the

increase. Employment figures also mirror the health of the

economy. 18.2% less were employed in construction in Sao Paulo

in 1995 than in 1994 - this represents a loss of approximately

126 thousand jobs. Also 180 thousand jobs in industry were lost

in Sao Paulo during last year.

VIOLENCE

- Three youth assassinated for salary rise.

Three street youth were found assassinated in the

municipality of Nova Lima (greater Belo Horizonte, State of Minas

Gerais) on March 15. The slain youth were later identified as

Junior Sandro Marques Leal (16 years), Gilmar Ferreira de Franca

(14 years) and Jamil Martins Romao (15 years). A group known as

"Grupo Reacao" suspected to be composed of members of the civil

police in Minas Gerais claimed through phone calls and a letter

that they had committed the assassinations. The group has been

know for its violence in the State of Minas Gerais since it also

assumed responsibility for seven bombings almost two years ago.

On the day of the assassinations a man called the "Estado

de Minas" newspaper giving information where the bodies might be

found and saying that a note had been left in a mail box at a

given address in the western region of the city of Belo

Horizonte. The note criticized the governor of Minas Gerais

Eduardo Azeredo and the State Secretary for Public Security

Santos Moreira. The message claimed that the motive for the

assassinations were the low police salaries and contained various

threats. The note was composed was made up of words and phrases

cut from newspapers. In the early afternoon a man called the

Itatiaia radio station and told the reporter that he belonged to

the police and threatened to increase the violence committed by

the group if the contents of the letter were not divulged.

- 600 thousand clandestine security guards in Brazil.

According to a report in the "Folha de Sao Paulo" on March

17, there are 600 thousand guards working in the area of private

security who are not subject to official control and in most

cases have not received adequate training. This number is three

times the size of the Brazilian army which has approximately 188

thousand members at the moment.

Most of the guards are employed without previous training or

adequate courses and their criminal records are usually not

checked out. Children and adolescents are the chief victims of

such ill prepared guards - during the last three months of 1995

in the Federal District alone they were responsible for the

deaths of four adolescents,the serious beating of another and

gunshot wounds which left a further youth permanently in a wheel-

chair.

"The increase in violence in the country encourages the number of gun-men hired" commented Lelio Carneiro, national

president of the federation which represents such workers. The

federal police whose function is to supervise firms contracting

such workers claims that it does not have sufficient

functionaries or funds to carry out this job. The police is not

even able to supervise the 1300 registered firms working in this

area employing 500 thousand security workers much less the other

600 thousand clandestine security workers. The registered firms

alone own 125 thousand revolvers.

Meanwhile, statistics show that bank robberies in the

Greater Sao Paulo region increased by 26% from January to

February of this year. In January the number stood at 80 and at

101 in February when approximately US $3.5 million. The all-time

monthly record was last November when 102 bank robberies took

place in the region. In February, 16 robberies took place on the

last day of the month alone. February 1996 shows an increase of

158.9% of bank robberies in the Sao Paulo area over the February

1995 figure. The average number of robberies per month stood at

57.3 during 1995. Already for the first two months of 1996 the

average has reached 90.5.

According to police sources the economic stability is one

factor which is encouraging bank robberies. Now inflation is low

and consequently those who carry out the robberies can hold on to

the money for a considerable period since its value will not

decrease significantly. The police also commented that in the

early 1990s the usual bank robber already had an extensive

criminal record. At the moment many robbers do not have such a

record.

URBAN ISSUES

- Security and sewerage systems are important priorities for

shanty-town dwellers.

A survey carried out in 50 of the 511 favelas (shanty-towns)

in the greater Recife (State of Pernambuco) area showed that the

residents feel that security and adequate sewerage systems are

the most important priorities, even more so than investments in

education and health. 4132 of the approximately 125 thousand

residents in the shanty towns were interviewed during the survey.

The Survey was carried out by the State Government of

Pernambuco during late 1995. The results will be debated in the

International Meeting about Urban Poverty which is taking place

in Recife during this week. The event is part of the preparations

for the Habitat 2 Conference being organized by the United

Nations.

Security was listed as the top priority by 22.5% of those

interviewed. Next comes the implantation of adequate sewerage

systems listed by 20.6%. The paving of streets was the third

priority listed by 12.7%. Education and health programs were not

found within the first ten priorities in the survey. The

Secretary for Health in the State of Pernambuco, Jarbas Barbosa

commented that even though health is not found amongst the top

ten priorities it can be connected or is contained in many of

them. "Sewerage, cleaning, draining and supplies are demands

which if attended will have a direct influence on health. The

people know this" he commented.

The types of violence most common in the favelas according

to the survey are robberies and assaults (31.3%); the use and

trafficking of drugs (6.3%) and assassinations (5.4%). The survey

also shows that the greater part of the inhabitants in the

favelas are under 25 years of age; 58.4% of the families earn up

to half a minimum salary (or US $50) each month and 70% of those

over 15 years did not complete primary school.

ACTION APPEAL

- Poor families with young children faced with death

threats.

A number of grassroots and Church groups including the

Defense Center for Children and Adolescents (CEDECA), the Minors

Pastoral Office of the Archdiocese of Sao Paulo and the Comboni

Missionaries requested us to urgently appeal that protest

messages be sent to the Mayor of the city of Sao Paulo, Dr. Paulo

Maluf, so that 17 families living in eminent risk to their lives

may be offered a solution by the public authorities. The text

prepared by the support groups follows. Protest messages to

Brazilian public authorities are VERY effective in resolving such

problems. Please send yours today.

Life for the poor on the periphery of Sao Paulo grows worse

by the day. There exists in Sao Paulo besides the millions of

street children and homeless, thousands of families living in

high risk situations due to an unjust land distribution. The

problem repeats itself throughout Brazil.

An Urgent Situation.

In Jardim Elba on the periphery of Sao Paulo a group of 17

families, including 30 children, live alongside a river and are

being exposed to a very dangerous situation. The river carries

rain-water and sewerage run-off. The recent rainy season has

taken a heavy toll. The wood shacks and small block houses of the

17 families are ready to fall with the next down-pour. There is

no where else to go. This group organized itself and decided to

occupy a vacant track of land owned by the city of Sao Paulo,

with one single goal in mind: to get their children and

themselves out of a high risk situation.

Death Threats.

They began to build their small shacks on the vacant area

and within an hour various military and special force police

units arrived together with the "neighborhood friends

association". The families, along with their children, were

thrown off the vacant land and told repeatedly that if they built

shacks on this piece of land they would be removed "by all means

necessary". The group of families withdrew and made it clear that

they didn't want any kind of violence. They only wanted to live

and remove their children from a life-threatening situation.

The neighborhood friends association responded by saying

that the vacant land which is in front of their housing complex,

belongs to them and that if the families try to occupy the land

they will be shot. The 17 families backed off dialogue with the

neighborhood friends association and went to meet with the

administration of Sao Paulo's mayor - Paulo Maluf. The

municipality said it could do nothing for the families and sent

them on a bureaucratic run-around. Meanwhile the mayor's

assistants met with the neighborhood friends association and gave

them permission to build a soccer field on the land. The rains

continue to seriously threaten the lives of the families who are

not only faced with serious danger to their lives in such a high

risk situation but also must face the death threats and other

intimidations from the military police, some of whom live in the

neighboring housing complex. With the continuance of the death-

threats, the families set up their own organization and sought

help from Church and local grassroots groups.

Proposal for an Immediate and Just Solution.

According to article 4 of the Brazilian Constitution which

deals specifically with the protection of children "It is the

duty of the family, community, society in general and public

powers, to guarantee, with absolute priority, the rights to life,

health, food, education".

Besides the death threats, the names of these families have

also been defamed. A clear example of this happened recently when

a 10 year old daughter of one of the 17 families was intimidated

and hit in school by one of the children of the families who live

in the housing complex. In fact, the situation of the families is

exactly opposite to what the law as defined in the constitution,

requires. They are doing their part but the local community and

public powers are in serious violation of Brazilian legal codes

and human rights.

The Military and Municipal police forces continue ready for

the call of "the public powers" and "the neighborhood friends

association" to use "all means necessary" against an innocent and

defenseless group of poor families who are living on the edge of

a collapsing river bank.

ACTION APPEAL: The human rights groups - from the Church and

grassroots organizations are supporting the 17 families. The

public authorities are very sensitive to protest messages

especially from other countries. We urgently appeal for your

support and request that you send such a message.

In your message to the mayor we suggest that you protest

about the precarious and dangerous situation in which the

families and especially the children are living. Please call his

attention to the lack of interest of the city authorities in

resolving the situation and demand that he interviene immediately

to listen to the demands of the 17 families and to resolve their

situation. The address of the mayor's office is:

Dr. Paulo Maluf,

Mayor of Sao Paulo,

Prefeitura de Sao Paulo,

Rua da Ceguira 77,

63003-000 Bras,

SP, Brazil

Fax + 55 11 227 7622

Phone + 55 11 225 9077

The reproduction of this material is permitted as long as the source is cited.