UN Gets Report on Land That Was Rejected by Brazil’s Congress

The author (relator) of a Brazil’s Parliamentary Investigative Commission report on Land Conflicts (Comissão Parlamentar Mista de Inquérito (CPMI) da Terra), deputy João Alfredo (P-SOL, Ceará state), has sent a copy of his report, which was rejected by the CPI, to Hina Jilani, the UN special representative for human rights.

Alfredo’s report, among other things, called for strengthening the Land Reform Institute (Incra), but was voted down because it was seen by some members of the CPI as interfering with land property rights.

"The report was sent to the UN because it deals with the problems of private militias [run by landowners] and the [right wing] União Democrática Ruralista (UDR), along with the defenders of land reform who face death threats. It seeks to get the government to take action and protect the weak from the stronger," explained deputy João Alfredo.

On the same day that Alfredo’s report was rejected, another report, written by deputy Alberto Lupion (PFL, Paraná), was approved in the CPI by a vote of 12 to 1.

It proposes a law that would classify land invasions as acts of terrorism. The Landless Rural Worker Movement (MST) regularly promotes land invasions by its members to pressure for land reform in Brazil.

Alfredo attacked the approved report, saying it did not reflect the reality in the Brazilian countryside or present a solution for the country’s agrarian problems.

"On the contrary," said Alfredo, "by making the activities of a social movement criminal activities it just makes the conflict more acute and maintains privileges."

After receiving the report, Hina Jilani declared that she was sorry it had been rejected. She pointed out that the UN Declaration of Human Rights protects social movements. "There has to be a right to protest and it must be protected," she said.

Agência Brasil

Tags:

You May Also Like

Brazil Furniture Growing Fast in Arab World

The Brazilian Export Promotion Agency (Apex) and the Brazilian Furniture Industry Association (Abimóvel) signed ...

The Bitter Sugar Pill US and EU Give Brazil

By some measures, these would seem like sweet times for the sugar industry. The ...

Brazilians in the West Bank Might Not Be Able to Vote for President

There are currently 93 electoral zones abroad, some of them comprising more than one ...

Bush Missed a Chance to End Bigotry Against Immigrants

As President George W. Bush eloquently accepted in New York City the  nomination as ...

US Airline Has 153 Orders and Options to Buy Brazil’s Embraer Jets

The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has sold 30 E-175 regional jets to Republic Airlines ...

Dr. Menges, I Apologize for My Fellow Brazilians

The "new axis of evil," which late American scholar Constantine Menges predicted and all ...

Ana’s fight for herself and her baby

“A brain aneurysm,” said the doctor when Ana, five months pregnant, was taken to ...

Arab League Wishes to Reopen Its Offices in Brazil

The reopening of the representation office for the League of Arab States in Brazil ...

Brazil’s Embraer Sells 4 Jets to LOT Polish Airlines

Brazil’s Aircraft maker Embraer announced today that LOT Polish Airlines has converted four Embraer ...

Brazilian Justice Indicts Six Close Aides of Lula for Dossiergate

A Brazilian federal judge indicted six close aides of Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula ...