Stedile takes debate on agrarian issue to the CPI against the MST

The militant highlighted the legitimacy and independence of the Movement

This Tuesday (August 15), the Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) that tries to criminalize the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) received João Pedro Stedile, a member of the Movement's national coordination, who testified, as summoned, to federal deputies who are part of the collegiate.

Welcomed by the solidarity of religious, trade union, party and social movement representatives, Stedile sought to expose the reality of the agrarian question in Brazil. He pointed out the contradictions of land ownership and agribusiness, and exposed the disastrous consequences that sustain these two models, such as hunger, social inequalities and environmental devastation.

Despite the efforts of the MST militant to qualify the Commission's discussion, Bolsonarist deputies were more concerned about attacking Stedile, imputing to him and the MST a list of crimes that the CPI itself, over its three months in duration, did not prove. In extensive hours of testimony, the militant highlighted the legitimacy and independence of the Movement, which operates within the rules of the Constitution. In addition, he pointed out that families carry out land occupations as a way of solving their own concrete problems.

Stedile stressed that the adversary system is not respected in the Commission, which is the scene of accusations without evidence and does not address the real problems of the Brazilian countryside, such as land grabbing, deforestation, use of pesticides, etc. In his speech, he stressed that the Agrarian Reform is a means for peasant families to have access to land, housing, education, healthy food and decent work, in addition to being the way to feed the country.

This CPI has been in process for three months, under the command of a majority composed of Bolsonarist parliamentarians, in an attempt to criminalize the MST and prevent the resumption of a National Policy of Agrarian Reform, in addition to trying to wear down the federal government. However, the baseness and lack of legitimacy and seriousness of Bolsonarist deputies is leading it to be closed earlier than expected by these parliamentarians themselves.

We stress the importance of society realizing that it is not by chance that the MST is approaching its 40 years. Throughout this period, there were several moments in which the country's elites tried to put an end to the Movement. But, they were never successful. The MST's struggle will continue as long as we have unproductive large estates in Brazil.

Movement of Landless Rural Workers – MST