Summary on the mobilizations in Brazil - Mai 98
In Brazil the "star" march is converging from the four cardinal points of the country towards the capital of the country, Brasilia, its final destiny. The demonstrators called by CUT (Central union of Workers), CMP (Central of Popular Movements), CONTG (Agriculture Worker's Confederation) CNBB (National Conference Bishops in Brazil), The National Forum of Education and the MST (Movement of landless people) should arrive today, 20th of May in the capital. During that time, in the North-East, the MST and it's numerous followers continue to attack supermarkets and commercial and government stores. This shows society and politicians that 40 million Brazilians suffer from hunger.
José Rainha Junior, one or the leaders of MST said on Monday to Salvador da Bahia that "Where there are people who die of hunger, MST will be at their side". According to him "MST's big mission id to help the rural workers resolve the problems of the agrarian reform and the right to survival. He added "it is more dangerous to see the workers dying of hunger, that to see them searching for food in the supermarket's looting"
Antonio Carlos Magalhaes, the interim president tried to arrest the leaders of the MST because of the supermarket looting. But the Brazilian court of justice did not follow his desire. Jaime Amorim, one of the leaders of MST in the North-East said after the reaction of the court to Magalhaes "society has finally understood the reality of the hunger and droughts in the region". From now on - he continued - "MST will work with different unions of rural workers and the catholic church. It will organize discussions with the cities inhabitant suffering from droughts and invite them to take part in the manifestations called "THE SHOUT OF THE EXCLUDED" on September the 6th.
In the mean time, the CUT (Central union of Workers), will program a seminar on the theme of dry weather in the North-East from the 27th to the 28th May "to find durable alternatives for the region" said Vincente Paulo da Silva, president of the union.
During the Geneva WTO conference, a seminar was going in Vienna, about "the negative effects of globalization"
The economist Joào Pedro Stedile, one of the principal leaders of MST, and a guest speaker at the seminar, said: "the financial market governes the country, as do the rural oligarchy and the industrial middle-class" He also said on that occasion that there was a glimmer of hope to the Brazilian people (and despair for the sharks of international finance) and here is an advice to the investors" do not invest in Brazil anymore because you will lose your money as sooner or later the people will reclaim their country.