Number 69, March 11, 1993.

RURAL QUESTIONS

- Landless workers to go on hunger strike for Agrarian Reform.

On the 15th of this month, 3 landless rural workers will begin a hunger strike, in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, to demand that the government take immediate measures to ensure agrarian reform.

The three basis demands of the hunger strikers are: 1. that the rural families encamped on the roadsides of Rio Grande and other states of Brazil be given land immediately; 2. that an emergency plan be drawn up to settle the families and 3. that the families be given food, medical care and access to schooling.

According to the Movement for Landless Rural Workers (MST), President Itamar Franco and the Minister for Agriculture, Lazaro Barbosa, "have the power in their hands to end the strike and will be responsible for whatever happens to the strikers".

The MSTs ask all NGOs to send messages and telegrams to the federal authorities in favor of the hunger strikers' demands. Addresses to write to:

Presidente da Republica,

Dr. Itamar Franco,

Palacio do Planalto,

CEP 70049/900 Brasilia,

DF., Brazil.

Fax: 061.226.7566

and Ministro da Agricultura,

Dr. Lazaro Barbosa,

Ministerio da Agricultura,

Esplanada dos Ministerios,

CEP 70043/900 Brasilia,

DF., Brazil.

Fax: 061.218.2586.

The same messages should also be sent to the Brazilian embassies abroad.

- Pastoral Land Commission (CPT) denounces slavery of at least 16.442 persons in Brazil.

On Tuesday March 9, the CPT (an entity of the Catholic Church) released a report at its headquarters in Goiania which denounces that at least 16.442 people are held as slaves on 19 different properties in Brazil. The statistics published refer to 1992 and show that the number of people held as slaves has increased rapidly in the last few years. In 1991, 4.800 such cases were registered; in 1990, 1.500 cases of slavery were registered.

The executive-secretary of the CPT, Jeronimo Neves, believes that the increase in the number of people subject to slavery increased due to the deepening economic recession and also to the fact that denouncements have increased year by year. The president of the entity, Bishop Augusto Rocha, believes that slavery in Brazil "has become a permanent and silent process which will only decrease if society continues to mobilize itself to end it". He emphasizes the important role that society plays in this context by referring to regions in the south of Brazil where the presence of slavery was discovered two years ago. Here, very heavy fines eliminated the practice of slavery.

According to data of the CPT, of the rural properties where slavery was practiced last year, five cultivated sugar-cane, two produced charcoal and one has a saw-mill. The state with the highest number of workers in slave conditions was Mato Grosso do Sul with a total of 8.235. Three criteria were used by the CPT to define slavery: recruitment is carried out by false promises; workers are forcibly held because of debts (workers are forced to pay highly inflated values for their food, work implements and their transport costs to the work place from where they were recruited) and control of free movement of the workers usually by gun-men. In such circumstances workers receive only food in return for their work. Other entities such as the Unified Workers Confederation of Brazil (CUT), the Ministry of Labor and the International Work Organization are expected to publish reports in the near future also dealing with this question.

- Another serious land conflict in Parana: three dead.

The situation in the area of Campo Bonito, 480 km from Curitiba, Parana, continues to be very tense, after the confrontation between police and landless rural workers, on Wednesday March 03, which resulted in the deaths of three policemen.

The dead policemen, Vicente de Freitas, Algacir Bebber, and

Adelino Arconti, were secret agents, belonging to the P-2, the

information section of the Military Police of Parana and were in

civilian clothes at the time. The 122 landless families were only

allowed to leave the area they had occupied, after they had

agreed to furnish the state's Security Secretary with the names

of the six colleagues that had fired on the agents.

A note on the episode was released by the Movement for

Landless Rural Workers to try and explain what happened.

The note says: "Once again, the federal government and

authorities failure to implant Agrarian Reform provokes conflicts

and deaths.

"The Santana estate, in the municipality of Campo Bonito,

situated on the frontier and belonging to the State, was occupied

for the first time in August of 1991, by 300 families, after

negotiations between landless workers, the state Assembly, the

Federal body for Agrarian Reform (INCRA), the State Government

and the alleged owner.

"The families were confined to an area of 980 hectares. An

area which sustains only 34 families. Two years went by and the

authorities took no action to settle the excess families. They

were two years under canvass huts, without being able to produce anything and living in inhuman conditions, constantly looking to INCRA and the authorities to resolve the problem.

"Because of the hopeless situation, the families decided to

occupy the rest of the area on the night of the 3rd of March

1993. The following afternoon, 4 armed men went to the camp and

began asking questions, making threats and provoking the workers.

A conflict broke out and 3 of the men were killed and the fourth

injured. After the deaths, the Military Police revealed their

identity. Three of the men turned out to be agents of the P-2

secret police, belonging to the Military Police of Parana and the

fourth was a lumberman from the region.

"The posture of the Landless Movement has always been to

preserve life and dignity. For this reason, we lament the loss of

life. The real people responsible for the tragedy are the

government and the authorities - who, up to now, have taken no

concrete steps to implement Agrarian Reform - and the Military

Police themselves, who treat the land question as if it were a

police case.

"The Constitution itself prohibits the use of the secret

service and spying against social movements and only allows its'

use in dealing with organized crime, that is with criminals.

"In Parana there are, today, 35 conflict areas, involving

3,359 families. There are around 380,000 landless families and

one million farmhands, who are hired on a daily basis. These

workers are dying daily. 3 landless workers were killed in the

last few years and many farmhands die everyday in road accidents.

Hunger and poverty have killed many others. Those who go to the

big cities are condemned to live in shanty-towns. These problems

will only be resolved when efficient measures, to assure Agrarian

Reform and to promote the social welfare of all, are taken".

INDIGENOUS QUESTIONS

- In 1992 in Brazil, 24 Indians killed and 24 committed suicide.

The 1992 report from the Missionary Council for Indigenous Peoples (CIMI), shows that in 1992, 24 indians were assassinated and 24 more committed suicide, because of the invasion of their territories and other acts of aggression.

The report, published for the fifth year running, says that the majority of the murders were committed in the Amazon region (17), while four occurred in the South and three in the Northeast. Several police inquiries were opened, but there wasn't one case of anyone being punished. CIMI - an organ of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB) - also registered 17 cases of attempted homicide against Indians, as well as 16 cases of death threats, made by people who invaded indian land.

The majority of the suicides occurred among the Kaiowa tribe of Mato Grosso do Sul (20 deaths), the others to take their own lives were 3 Yanomami Indians and one Terena from the Amazon. However, the report stresses that the biggest cause of death among the Indians was diseases. "This seems to be the easiest and most subtle way to exterminate the Indians", says CIMI. In 1992 seven female indians were raped, some of them by army soldiers of the 5th Special Frontier Battalion, in the frontier area between Brazil and Colombia. None of the criminals were brought to justice.

The indigenous population continue to suffer aggressions: in 37 areas, the forests are being destroyed and the wood taken out illegally and in the states of Rondonia and Mato Grosso, landowners are furnishing cocaine to the Cinta Larga and Surui tribes in exchange for their wood. "As long as there is no policy to eliminate this aggression", CIMI concludes, "the prospects for the indigenous people will be very bleak and they will continue to live in a state of permanent violence".

- Gun-man offers to kill bishop who has defended indians.

Bishop Aldo Mongiano of Roraima received a death threat during a radio program. A gun-man, "professional for the last four years", offered to assassinate the bishop. Bishop Mongiano has become internationally known for his defense of the indigenous peoples in the State of Roraima.

The accusations and threats against Bishop Mongiano started on two local radio stations, Difusa and Equatoriana, on January 26 last soon after the Wapixana indians of the Canauanim indigenous area managed to expel two ranchers from their territory with the help of the federal police. Two years ago, a court decision determined that eleven invaders should leave the territory of the Wapixana. Of the eleven who left, two later returned. The indians attempted to negotiate the withdrawal of these two ranchers from the area. The negotiations were not successful and they decided to occupy the headquarters of the ranches localized within their territory.

The radio stations claim that Bishop Mongiano is responsible for the expulsion of the ranchers from the indigenous area. They furthermore accuse the bishop of inciting the indians of the State of Roraima against the ranchers and the gold-prospectors. The radio stations are also responsible for numerous slanderous statements against local Church workers.

Roraima is the Brazilian state where most violence against the indians has been registered. During 1992, at least 5 indians were assassinated in the state. Death threats, homicide attempts and invasion of indigenous lands frequently are carried out by ranchers, gold-prospectors and invaders. Messages of support are requested for Bishop Mongiano and the Church workers at the following address:

Bishop Aldo Mongiano,

Curia Diocesana,

Praca do Centro Civico 133,

Centro,

Caixa Postal 163,

69300 Boa Vista,

RR., Brazil

CHURCHES

- Latin American Churches make appeal to President Clinton for justice and peace.

The president of the Latin American Council of Churches (CLAI), methodist Bishop, Federico Pagura, has just sent a letter to President Clinton, asking for policy changes from the United States, to help promote justice and peace throughout the world. "We have to admit that during our visit and through our contact with religious and political leaders and also through listening to the ordinary citizens of this country, we have found mixed feelings of hope and fear", says the letter. "A hope that the new administration will produce the necessary changes for a more just and solidarity-minded society, like the one this generation demands, not only on a national level, but also internationally and a fear that the promises be nothing but empty words".

The preoccupation, says Pagura, arises above all "because of the corrupting force of economic, religious or military power, which instead of being put at the service of the poor of the land, (always present in the Gospel message), and of justice and peace, blindly hands itself over to the service of privileged groups and classes, even to the detriment of human life, of whole peoples and the future of humankind".

WOMEN'S QUESTIONS

- Women denounce violence.

Feminist movements in Sao Paulo commemorated Women's International Day, on March 8th, with protest marches through the city's main streets. They particularly denounced the marked increase in violence against women, in Brazil.

During the protests this manifesto was read:

"March 8th is celebrated all over the world as the International Day of the Woman, to honor the textile workers, who were burnt alive by their employers for creating the first ever strike led by women. On this day, together with women the world over, we take to the streets to protest. We protest against the intolerance and violence of men who humiliate and kill in the name of love. We protest against racial violence, against the imposition of compulsory heterosexuality, against the mass sterilization of women, against rape and sexual molestation, against the prohibition of abortion, which is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of women, against violence at work and above all, against the failure of the authorities to take action against these crimes. The rise in violence is directly related to the growth in unemployment and poverty, and it is the women who continue to be the principle victims.

"Male chauvinism, reinforced by the mass media and the certainty of impunity, has encouraged men of all social classes to use women as their main scapegoat. Racism has turned negro women into objects of sexual desires and cheap, disposable labor. Masculine predominance has affected women in all areas: in sports, the arts, political parties, business, trade unions and in the home. Marta, Hortencia and Daniela Perez are just some of the familiar faces, among the legion of anonymous victims. Even many of the men, who are committed to the struggle for a more just society, do nothing to further the cause of equality between men and women and what's more, don't see this cause as an essential criterion for democracy and social justice.

"We, women, can't and mustn't keep quiet, after all, we make up for more than half the world's population".

Marta and Hortencia mentioned in the manifesto, are members of the Brazilian Basketball team, who were recently attacked by rival supporters, after their local team played a match in Campinas, SP. Daniela Perez was an actress with the Globo TV network, who was brutally assassinated a few weeks ago, by a actor colleague, Guilherme de Padua.

TRADE UNIONS

- Medeiros seeks re-election.

The president of the Metal Worker's Trade Union of Sao Paulo, Luiz Antonio de Medeiros, is favorite to win, for the third time running, the union election, worth millions of dollars, and which began on Monday, March 8th.

According to the three groups disputing the election, (the other two candidates are supported by CUT, (the Unified Workers Confederation of Brazil) and CGT, (the General Congress of Trade Unions), Medeiros has 80% of the intended votes. Medeiros has over 500 people working for his re-election, brought in from other states. Leaders from the Metal Worker's Union, told AGEN, that the majority of these "supporters" were staying at the Hotel Danubio, in the center of Sao Paulo, with all expenses paid.

Medeiros has no intention of completing his probable new mandate, as he intends to run for election as a federal deputy next year. He's also likely to hand over the presidency of the "Forca Sindical" Congress of Unions, of which he's the president, but not before he inaugurates the new luxurious headquarters he built for the union, with money from the Caixa Economica Federal Bank and German entities and which is called the "Worker's Palace".

HUMAN RIGHTS

- General Stroessner's extradition expected soon.

A decision from the Supreme Federal Tribunal (STF), on the extradition of the Paraguayan dictator, General Alfredo Stroesser, living in asylum in Brasilia, is expected within the next few days. The extradition is being demanded by Paraguay's principle civil organizations.

All investigations made up to now by juridical and non-governmental entities in Paraguay point to Stroessner's direct responsibility for the misuse of public goods and property and also human right violations.

The dictator is also accused of harboring nazi war criminals, including Martin Bormann and Joseph Mengele, the "doctor of death" . Stroessner and his accomplices are known to have abetted the military dictatorships of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, by collaborating in the kidnapings, torture, murders and disappearance of political opponents.

- Judge accepts denouncement against 120 military police involved in massacre in Sao Paulo prison.

Judge Paulo Antonio Prazak of the Military Justice Tribunal accepted the denouncement of the public prosecutor against the 120 military police involved in the massacre in the Casa de Detencao which took place on October 02 last. In the incident, 111 prisoners were killed and 108 were injured.

The judge determined that all of the military police involved be immediately heard in court. Thus they cannot leave the country without authorization of the commanders of the police force and of the military court. The judge determined that all of the accused be informed and will soon announce the date for the hearings. The next step in the case will be the selection of the four officers who will form together with the judge, the Special Council of Sentence, which will judge the case.

- Poverty record held by Fortaleza.

The capital of Ceara, Fortaleza, holds the record in Brazil for urban poverty. According to a survey made by the Government Census body (IBGE), 200 thousand of Fortaleza's one million and 770 thousand population, live in a situation of chronic hunger and abandonment. The survey, made with the help of UNICEF and Ceara's State Planning Department, shows that 70.2% of the children there live in families, whose total monthly income is less than US$ 40. In 1991, there were 313 shanty-towns in Fortaleza, housing a population of 540,720.

CHILDREN

- Public prosecutors office claims that violence continues against youth in prison.

Since October last when a rebellion broke out in the Tatuape unit of Febem (prison for youth offenders) in Sao Paulo, 69 adolescents have been victims of aggressions and beatings in different units of Febem. The denouncement is attributed to the Office of the Public Prosecutor for Children and Youth (Promotoria da Infancia e da Juventude) of Sao Paulo according to a report in the "Folha de Sao Paulo" on March 10. The Office of the Public Prosecutor asked that official inquiries be opened to examine these denouncements.

According to the State Forum for the Rights of Children and Adolescents (Forum Estadual dos Direitos da Crianca e do Adolescente) the reported aggressions and beatings give strength to the rumors that the "hard line" has returned to Febem. Such sources claim that at least four of the new directors responsible for Febem since January last, are members of a repressive group which was active in the institution until the Montoro government in 1983.

According to one of the public prosecutors, Liliana Mercandante Mortari, the denouncements show that violence increased after the rebellion of last October. She stated that measures are being studied by her office. This office also denounces that in some units of Febem, overcrowding is acute. Groups of from 12 to 15 minors sleep in rooms which at most are 9 square meters. Showers and toilet bowls are lacking; the adolescents have no educational activities and can only change their clothes once a week.

GRASSROOTS REPORT.

The following is a report prepared by the approximately 800 landless rural families living in the campment on the Ipanema ranch, municipality of Ipero, State of Sao Paulo. They appeal for your solidarity and support.

Background.

During the early hours of May 16, 1992, almost 800 rural landless families from the Campinas and Soracaba regions occupied an area of 1.900 hectares within the Ipanema ranch in the municipality of Ipero, State of Sao Paulo. The ranch had been unproductive and idle for more than 20 years.

At the time of occupation the ranch belonged to an organ of the Ministry of Agriculture known as MARA. It was ear-marked to be passed on to INCRA (the Brazilian Agrarian Reform Institute) according to a plan entitled "Terra Brasil" drawn up during the government of former President Collor.

However, on May 21, 1992, 5 days after the occupation, President Collor signed a decree transforming the entire ranch into an area of national forest even though the area occupied did not contain forest. The ownership of the area thus passed into the hands of IBAMA (the governmental organ which deals with forestry and environment) and by law, agricultural activity was prohibited in the area.

The families who occupied the area suffered huge pressure from the police and the authorities. However, they also received massive support from the trade unions, the churches and from the local population. This support was fundamental in encouraging the families to continue their struggle for a just agrarian reform.

Production.

From the very first week the families who occupied the area began to cultivate the land. At first vegetables and cassava were planted but soon an area of 150 hectares was planted and contained amongst other crops corn, water melon, rice and beans. The financial resources necessary for the planting of the initial crops came from projects set up and financed by Catholic Church contacts. Various individuals and organizations also loaned tractors to prepare the land. These include the municipality of Aracoiaba, local small farmers and a neighboring campment in Porto Feliz. The project money paid for the fuel and seeds and a large area was also prepared manually.

Negotiation.

Since the first day of occupation several work teams were set up; one such team is for the purpose of carrying out negotiation. This team negotiated with the government to hold off the expulsion order and later carried out a further negotiation with government sources to get a basic food basket (food items considered necessary for the survival of a family during a month). After three months in the campment, the negotiating team succeed in getting the basic food basket for the 800 families. However, the last basic food baskets arrived on January 07 last. The consequence is that all of the families are now depending on donations from the local communities and hunger is widespread.

Internal Organization of the Campment.

The 800 families living in the campment are organized into 13 groups. Each group has a coordinator who also belongs to the general coordination of the campment. Each group has representatives on the different work teams in the campment. Such teams cater for areas as diverse as health, water, hygiene, food, education, security, finance, negotiation, production and milk. Each work team also has a general coordination.

At the moment a survey of the area is being carried out by ITESP with a view to making a proposal for the settlement of part of the families on the ranch. Negotiation for the return of the basic food basket still continues with the government. A protest march demanding the return of the food basket was made on February 19 as far as the town of Ipero. This march could really be termed a protest against hunger. On this occasion, corn was exchanged for basic food items such as rice, beans, sugar, cooking oil and salt.

The rural workers in the campment are very hopeful that their struggle will prove worthwhile and have plans to plant a larger area during the coming weeks. They plan also to invest in contacts with grassroots groups in the cities since they believe that the struggle for agrarian reform is a struggle of all workers. They believe that with an agrarian reform it will be possible to supply a greater quality and variety of food to city dwellers at a lower price.

APPEAL

The 800 rural landless families camped on the Ipanema ranch in Ipero urgently request your support and solidarity. They suggest two ways in which you may participate in their struggle.

In the first place, they invite you to send a message to the Governor of the State of Sao Paulo demanding that the basic food baskets be immediately restored to them. The message may be written in any language and the address is as follows:

Dr. Antonio Fleury Filho,

Governor do Estado de Sao Paulo,

Av. Morumbi 4500,

05598 Sao Paulo,

SP., Brazil.

Fax (011) 826-6773.

Secondly, a financial contribution would help to prepare the land for the next crops and to buy food for the families until the basic food basket is restored. For those who can communicate in Portuguese and wish to make a contribution, direct contact can be made with the families at the following address:

Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra,

Rua Julio Hanser 140,

Lageado,

18031-490 Sorocaba,

SP., Brazil.

Fax (0152)31-6347 and phone (0152) 32-0056.

For those with difficulty in communicating in Portuguese, contact made be made through the editor of "NEWS FROM BRAZIL" at the address given at the end of the bulletin.

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