Wednesday, June 07, 2006

Landless workers occupy Brazilian Congress

1,000 landless laborers temporarily took over the lower house of the Brazilian Congress. Video here. BBC article here.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

The MST (Landless Workers Movement) has stated that it had nothing to do with this action.

http://www.mstbrazil.org/?q=june7pressrelease

I found it fascinating that the BBC article described the MLST as a "radical offshoot" of the MST. I've traveled to Brazil and met with the MST, and they're some pretty radical folks.

Don't get me wrong. Considering how messed up land distribution is down most of Latin America, you kind of have to be radical if you believe in social justice. I support the MST's work and was impressed by what I learned about them.

I just find the splintering that occurs often among leftist movements to be interesting. I'm never quite sure if it's a sign of intellectual vitality or indicative of the ineffectualness of left-wing social movements.

Anyway, perhaps it's good tha the MLST are now considered the radicals. Maybe it'll help push land reform in Brazil forward by giving the MST more clout.

rn said...

The left eats its own, as the saying goes.

Despite the splintering, this much is true: for squatters, rural or urban, left-leaning or right, Lula has been a big disappointment.