CLOC-Via Campesina

CLOC-Via Campesina
Name	CLOC-Via Campesina
Formation	1993 (as CLOC), 1996 (affiliation with La Vía Campesina)
Type	Peasant movement; social movement coalition
Headquarters	Managua, Managua Department
Region served	Latin America and the Caribbean
Membership	Peasant, indigenous, afro-descendant, fisher, and rural worker organizations
Leader title	Coordinating bodies and regional secretariats

CLOC-Via Campesina CLOC-Via Campesina is a Latin American peasant movement coalition that unites agrarian organizations, indigenous movements, and rural unions across Latin America and the Caribbean to advocate for agrarian reform, food sovereignty, and land rights. It links regional struggles with international activism, engaging with institutions such as the Food and Agriculture Organization, the United Nations, and networks like Friends of the Earth and Via Campesina while interacting with states including Brazil, Argentina, and Honduras.

History and Origins

CLOC-Via Campesina traces antecedents to land movements and agrarian reform struggles influenced by actors like Emiliano Zapata, Hugo Chávez, and the Sandinista National Liberation Front, alongside transnational mobilizations such as the World Social Forum and campaigns by Via Campesina and International Land Coalition. Founders included regional federations such as Federación Nacional Campesina groups and indigenous organizations connected to events like the 1994 Zapatista uprising and negotiations around the North American Free Trade Agreement and Mercosur. Early congresses convened activists from Brazilian Landless Workers' Movement, Confederación Nacional Campesina (Mexico), and movements in Peru and Bolivia, shaping a platform that responded to structural adjustment policies promoted by the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.

Structure and Membership

The coalition is organized through national and regional bodies combining federations such as Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra, indigenous confederations like CONAIE, and peasant unions similar to Federación Nacional Campesina (Ecuador). Decision-making occurs in continental assemblies influenced by practices seen in La Via Campesina and International Peasants' Movement models, with coordination among sectors represented in secretariats akin to structures in African Union and European Coordination Via Campesina affiliates. Membership spans organizations from Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Venezuela, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, with links to women’s collectives, indigenous councils such as Consejo Indígena, and fisherfolk associations comparable to World Forum of Fisher Peoples.

Goals and Political Positions

CLOC-Via Campesina advocates for agrarian reform, land redistribution, and rights enshrined in documents paralleling United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, while opposing neoliberal trade frameworks like Free Trade Area of the Americas and policies promoted by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development forums. Its platform endorses food sovereignty in the tradition of proposals advanced by Via Campesina and critiques agro-industrial models championed by corporations such as Monsanto and policy regimes associated with WTO negotiations. The coalition supports agroecology initiatives inspired by research institutes like Embrapa and activists linked to La Vía Campesina and aligns with social movements including Movimiento al Socialismo and labor federations like Central Unitaria de Trabajadores on rural labor rights and social protection.

Key Campaigns and Activities

Campaigns have included land occupations influenced by tactics used by Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra, mobilizations against extractive projects promoted by companies referenced in disputes with Chevron and Glencore, and advocacy at summits such as the Summit of the Americas, the World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference, and the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. Activities include organizing international caravans, campesino schools modeled on Escuela Latinoamericana de Agroecologia efforts, and participation in global protests alongside networks like Via Campesina, Friends of the Earth International, and International Union of Foodworkers. Campaigns on seed sovereignty mirror actions by indigenous seed networks and groups involved in juridical claims like those presented before regional human rights organs such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

Relationship with La Vía Campesina and Other Organizations

CLOC-Via Campesina is the Latin American regional expression of La Vía Campesina and maintains formal ties while preserving autonomy similar to regional federations within La Via Campesina structures; it collaborates with organizations such as Via Campesina Europe, Asian Peasant Coalition, and international NGOs like Oxfam on joint initiatives. Relationships with political parties like Movimiento al Socialismo (Bolivia) and governments including Cuban and Bolivian administrations have ranged from strategic alliances to critique, mirroring interactions between International Peasants' Movement networks and state actors. It also networks with academic centers such as FLACSO, technical agencies like FAO, and grassroots coalitions including Central de Trabajadores to coordinate research, policy proposals, and solidarity actions.

Impact and Criticism

Impact includes influence on policy debates about land tenure in countries like Bolivia, Ecuador, and Brazil, shaping discourse at forums such as the Food Sovereignty Summit and contributing to legal reforms and communal land titling initiatives modeled after cases in Nicaragua and Peru. Critics from agribusiness sectors and some governments argue that tactics resemble confrontational movements like Movimiento Sem Terra occupations and have sparked legal disputes comparable to controversies involving agrarian reform in Chile; academic critics associated with universities such as University of São Paulo and think tanks linked to Inter-American Development Bank have questioned the coalition’s capacity for scaling agroecology and integrating market access. Supporters point to solidarity networks, successful local land claims, and influence on international norms exemplified by connections to the United Nations Committee on World Food Security and grassroots policy wins in municipal governance in regions across Latin America.

Category:Social movements Category:Agrarian movements Category:Latin American politics