[03/07/2007] Reuters Reports: Brazil Peasants Stage Protests Ahead of Bush Visit

RIO DE JANEIRO, March 7 (Reuters) - Hundreds of Brazilian peasants briefly occupied an iron ore
mine on Wednesday and invaded a sugar mill in the latest of several protests ahead of U.S.
President George W. Bush's visit to the country.

A spokeswoman for the Via Campesina (Peasant Way) group said over 500 female activists had
occupied the Capao Xavier mine owned by Brazil's CVRD (VALE5.SA: Quote, Profile , Research)
(RIO.N: Quote, Profile , Research) -- the world's biggest iron ore miner -- in Minas Gerais
state early on Wednesday. Police quickly removed them from the premises.

The four-hour-long protest was aimed "against transnational companies and the financial system,
which seek control of the natural resources in the country," the group said in a statement.

The group also invaded U.S. grain trader Cargill's Cevasa sugar and ethanol mill in Sao Paulo
state on Wednesday, but the company said its operations were not affected.

Bush is due to arrive in Brazil on Friday, where he is expected to discuss agriculture and raising
exports of sugar cane-based ethanol to the United States.

CVRD confirmed the occupation and said it had prevented the production of 12,000 tonnes of ore.
Occupations of other CVRD installations by indigenous Indians for several days last year caused
delays to ore shipments.

The Via Campesina group comprises workers of small farms and landless peasants and is working
closely with Brazil's radical leftist Landless Peasants Movement (MST).

The Rio Grande do Sul State Association of Forestry Companies said Tuesday's occupation of two
plantations owned by world's top paper and pulp maker Stora Enso (STERV.HE: Quote, Profile ,
Research) ended the same day without damage to trees or installations.

Police stood by but did not intervene, an association spokesman said.

Protesters occupying two other plantations, one run by Brazil's Votorantim group and another a
private firm supplying Aracruz (ARA.N: Quote, Profile , Research)(ARCZ6.SA: Quote, Profile ,
Research) pulp and paper maker, were due leave on Wednesday on judge's orders, the association
said.

In Rio de Janeiro, several dozen women peasants linked to the MST staged a protest at the
headquarters of BNDES national development bank.

The MST said in a statement the aim of the protest was to show support for small farmers working
for the domestic market and to condemn "multinational companies... who bring hunger, devastation
and unemployment".

It said Bush's visit was aimed at "guaranteeing supplies of low-cost ethanol" which would consume
lands that otherwise could be used by small family-run farms to produce food.

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