The Constitution and Justice Commission (CCJ) of the Chamber of Deputies has approved a bill that removes the requirement for judicial authorization before using force against land occupations. This legislation, seen as part of the “anti-MST package,” is aimed directly at peasant, indigenous, and Quilombola movements.

The bill allows police and private security forces to act against land occupations, classifying such actions as terrorism and imposing harsh penalties of 1 to 4 years in prison for those involved. Additionally, it restricts access to eligibility for public office in rural areas for those who participate in the struggle for land.

Under the new rules, police can use force without judicial oversight for up to one year and one day against any camp, creating a chilling environment for those struggling for land and advocating for the peasants rights. The police are also mandated to respond to a request of the big landlords within 48 hours, further entrenching the power of the big landlords.

Since December 10, it is now allowed to the State to legally attack the organizations of the peasants under the pretext of “self-defense”. Recent attacks in areas like Messias and Barro Branco have highlighted the potential consequences of this legislation, with reports of military police providing support to paramilitary groups aligned with the big landlords. These developments signal a concerted effort to undermine the peasant struggle, the Agrarian Revolution, that is the “first stage of the New Democratic Revolution”. What mainly expresses the fear of the old State of the organization of the peasants.

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