Rio, March 23, 2004 (Agência Brasil) - Around 300 families belonging to the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) invaded the Santa Justina farm, which borders the BR-101 (Rio-Santos) highway, in the municipality of Mangaratiba, on the south coast of the state of Rio de Janeiro. The Military Police are at the locale, and, despite the tense atmosphere, no clashes have been reported since the farm was occupied last night (22). The owner of the property, Isomar Victor de Souza Breves, had already filed for a judicial eviction order. But, according to Cláudio Amaro, of the MST, the invaders have so far not received any official notification to abandon the farm, which has one thousand hectares.

The regional office of the National Colonization and Agrarian Reform Institute (Incra) in Rio de Janeiro confirmed that the Justina farm was judged unproductive and began the process of expropriation in 1985, but the owner appealed, and the case remained paralyzed until last year, when the Supreme Court issued a sentence favorable to the Incra. During this period, the owner managed to get the Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) to transform the area into a Private Natural Patrimony Reserve (RPPN), which frees him of the obligation to keep the area productive.

According to the head of the Incra's Technical Division, Paulo Ronan, Incra is questioning this document judicially and will present the court today with arguments that demonstrate Incra's interest in the area. "This measure is intended to gain time and prevent the producers and their families from being evicted," he added.

The MST accuses the property owner of dividing up the area into a real estate development.

Translator: David Silberstein