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12 May 2016 | Interviews | Human rights | Food Sovereignty
"They shall not pass!"
Interview with Joaquim Piñero, MST leader on the impending coup in Brazil
Ever since the impeachment process started, the coup process as referred to by Brazilian social movements, demonstrations, cultural activities, occupations of lands and public institutions have not stopped. The Popular Brazil Front that gathers student movements, groups demanding lands, dignified housing, central unions and left-wing parties organized yesterday a mobilization at national level: "The main focus was to block the main roads of the country and to carry out mobilizations and strikes in factories, schools and universities of the big cities. Our assessment is that it was a successful mobilization held in 20 out of 27 Brazilian States and that showed the strength of organized popular movements on the streets", said Joaquim Piñero, leader of the Landless Rural Workers Movements of Brazil, which is part of this Front.
"For us, the peasant movement, the fact that this coup takes place is extremely concerning for the following reason: those who mainly support his coup are the so-called ruralist sector, which is the sector with a majority both in the House of Representatives and the Senate and it gathers large landowners, and businesspeople of the agribusiness sector, which are the main enemies of the popular movements struggling for an Agrarian Reform in Brazil", said the leader when making reference to how this institutional breakdown process threatens the Brazilian peasants.
Piñero warned that hand in hand with the power and hegemony of this sector, the attacks become stronger against peasants: "They are using violent strategies such as murdering rural workers, attacking landless settlements throughout the country, legally persecuting peasants and also in parliament".
A few hours before a decision is made on whether to remove President Dilma Rousseff, something "almost inevitable" according to the movements, the leader stated: "we will continue with the process of struggles and mobilizations. Popular movements are tasked with organizing the people more and more, with addressing the population who is watching this coup on TV".
Imagen: Daniel Arroyo/ jornalistaslivres.org
