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| Movimento Sem Terra | |
|---|---|
| Name | Movimento Sem Terra |
| Native name | Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra |
| Abbreviation | MST |
| Founded | 1984 |
| Founders | João Pedro Stédile, José Rainha Júnior, Miguel Arraes (supporters) |
| Location | Brazil |
| Membership | hundreds of thousands (claimed) |
| Ideology | Agrarianism, Socialism, Land reform |
Movimento Sem Terra is a Brazilian social movement advocating for land reform and rural workers' rights through direct action, occupation, and settlement formation. Emerging during the late stages of the Brazilian military dictatorship and the transition to the New Republic, the movement became a central actor in debates over agrarian reform, peasants' rights, and rural development. Its tactics, alliances, and conflicts have connected it to unions, political parties, social movements, and international solidarity networks.
The movement originated in the 1970s and 1980s amid land conflicts involving large landowners such as those associated with the Confederação da Agricultura e Pecuária do Brasil and agribusiness interests in states like Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, and São Paulo. Early mobilizations drew on experiences from the Camponeses Sem Terra struggles and interactions with the Brazilian Labour Party (historical) and leftist intellectuals including figures linked to Paulo Freire's pedagogy and unions like the Central Única dos Trabalhadores. Influential moments included occupations influenced by agrarian legislation debates around the 1988 Constitution of Brazil and campaigns during administrations of presidents such as José Sarney, Fernando Collor de Mello, and later Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. International contacts involved exchanges with movements like the Zapatista Army of National Liberation in Mexico and solidarity from organizations associated with Via Campesina.
The movement is organized through regional associations, coordination bodies, and political collectives operating across Brazilian states including Bahia, Mato Grosso do Sul, Minas Gerais, and Pará. Local assemblies, often modeled after practices seen in Landless Workers' Movement (historical assemblies), select delegates to state and national coordination meetings where strategies link to entities like the Ministry of Agrarian Development during periods of institutional engagement. Leadership includes notable activists who have interfaced with parties such as the Workers' Party and NGOs like Pastoral Land Commission and international NGOs connected to Amnesty International or Oxfam. Internal education cadres draw on traditions related to Paulo Freire and cooperative networks including the Cooperativa Central de Trabalho.
Tactical occupations of unproductive estates and unused land parcels have been central, with high-profile actions in regions like the Amazon Rainforest frontier and cerrado areas in Goiás. Land occupations often involve confrontations with private security linked to agrarian associations and interventions involving institutions such as the Federal Police and judiciary bodies like the Supremo Tribunal Federal. Successful occupations may lead to agrarian reform settlements recognized through programs tied to the National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform. Settlements have produced cooperative enterprises, agroecology projects in partnership with universities like the University of Brasília and State University of Campinas, and connections to markets including fair trade networks and municipal markets in cities such as Porto Alegre and São Paulo.
Politically, the movement has advocated for redistribution policies in alignment with platforms promoted by coalitions involving the Workers' Party and allied social movements such as Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens and União Nacional dos Estudantes. Campaigns target legislation debated in the National Congress of Brazil and interact with ministries including the Ministry of Social Development (Brazil). The movement supported candidates like Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in certain electoral cycles while criticising administrations perceived as hostile to agrarian reform, engaging in strikes, demonstrations at sites like the Palácio do Planalto, and international advocacy through forums such as the World Social Forum.
Education and social programs in settlements emphasize literacy, technical agriculture training, and cultural activities inspired by Paulo Freire and cooperative education models used by organizations like the Catholic Church's Pastoral da Juventude. Health programs have linked settlements to public health initiatives including partnerships with municipal secretariats and NGOs connected to Doctors Without Borders. The movement fosters agroecology, seed sharing, and cooperatives, collaborating with academic institutions such as the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and research centers focused on sustainable agriculture.
Critics include large landowner associations, conservative parties like the Brazilian Social Democracy Party in contested regions, and media outlets such as national broadcasters that have reported on clashes during occupations. Accusations have involved illegal land invasions, confrontations resulting in violence with actors linked to the ruralista bloc, and legal disputes adjudicated in courts including the Superior Court of Justice (Brazil). Debates have addressed internal governance, relations with political parties, and incidents drawing attention from human rights organizations and international observers.
The movement's influence extends to national debates on land distribution, agrarian law reform, and rural social policy, affecting legislation under administrations like Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. It has trained generations of activists who transitioned into roles within institutions such as municipal governments, unions like the Central Única dos Trabalhadores, and academic departments at universities including the Universidade de São Paulo. Internationally, it contributed to transnational agrarian networks such as Via Campesina and influenced social movement theory studied in departments at universities like Harvard University and University of Oxford. Category:Social movements in Brazil