Lílian de Macedo
Reporter Agência Brasil

Brasília - Members of the Landless Rural Worker Movement (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra) (MST) have invaded and occupied the headquarters of the Land Reform Institutes (Instituto Nacional de Colonização e Reforma Agrária) (Incra) in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, along with seven toll booths in Paraná and three properties in Rio Grande do Sul. The MST says the invasions are part of a new MST National Struggle Movement and will continue for an indefinite period of time.

It is reported that the toll booths in Paraná have shut down and are not collecting tolls.

Meanwhile, the MST says it is demanding the government keep promises it says were made during negotiations in May following an MST National March to Brasilia. Among other things, the MST says the government must appropriate more money for the INCRA and the Ministry of Agrarian Development so more expropriations can be made for land reform settlements. As for the rules of exporpriation, the MST has requested a revision of the production levels used to determine when land is not considered productive, because the norms in effect date from 1975. Finally, the MST calls for the settlement of 400,000 families between now and next year, access to credit for settled families, funding for their farming activities and basic necessity baskets.

Translator: Allen Bennet