Peasant Alert #4: Violence in Rural Areas – Massacres in Colombia and Brazil
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Starting in mid-January, Colombia has been shaken by an alarming wave of violence, resulting in over 100 deaths and at least 11,000 displaced people. Clashes between guerrilla groups, such as the National Liberation Army (ELN), and dissident factions of the FARC have escalated in regions like the Venezuelan border and the Amazon. These acts of violence, driven by territorial disputes and drug trafficking, have jeopardized President Gustavo Petro’s “total peace” policy. This crisis once again highlights the devastating impact of violence in Colombia’s rural areas, where peasant communities bear the brunt of armed conflicts and forced displacement.
Adding to this tragic situation, an equally dramatic event took place in Brazil. On January 10, the Olga Benário settlement, managed by the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) in São Paulo, was attacked by an armed group. The attack claimed the lives of two militants, Gleison Barbosa de Carvalho and Valdir do Nascimento, both of whom were fighting for agroecology and agrarian reform. Several others were injured, further illustrating the rising violence in Brazil’s countryside, where peasant communities remain highly vulnerable.
Although separated by borders, these events are connected by a common thread: structural violence in rural areas, targeting those who defend land, social justice, and the right to a dignified life. It is crucial to denounce these injustices and strengthen international solidarity to protect rural communities facing such aggressions.
In the latest episode of Peasant Alert (Spanish/Portugese
), we’re joined by Márcio Santos from MST (Brazil) and Eliana Zafra from CPDH (Colombia), both also representatives of La Vía Campesina South America. Together, they analyze the ongoing crises in their respective territories and emphasize the critical need for international solidarity.
If you scroll down further, you’ll find their stories and insights made available in English, which offer a deeper understanding of the situation.
Territorial Disputes: The Case of the Olga Benário Settlement in Brazil
On January 10, the Olga Benário settlement of the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) in Brazil was attacked by an armed group. The attack resulted in the deaths of two militants, Gleison Barbosa de Carvalho and Valdir do Nascimento, and left several others injured. Two of the injured remain in critical condition: one was shot twice in the head, while the other has bullets lodged in their cervical spine. Four others, after being discharged from the hospital, are recovering at home from gunshot wounds to their feet, hands, and arms.
Márcio Santos (LVC South America – MST – São Paulo, Brazil): “What happened on January 10 in the settlement in the São Paulo countryside is the result of an intense territorial dispute we are facing in Brazil. The value of territories conquered by workers through the struggle for agrarian reform is now at the heart of conflicts, both against agribusiness and other forms of financial speculation.”
The attack took place in the Paraíba Valley, a region near São Paulo that is highly sought after by real estate capital due to its strategic location along the route between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. This fuels land speculation and attempts to evict settlements to make way for residential complexes and resorts.
The perpetrators of the attack are not just traditional militias but also paramilitary groups involving drug traffickers and former military personnel. These groups, which gained power under the Bolsonaro government, use violence to seize territories.
Márcio (Brazil): “The Bolsonaro government empowered these militias by providing them with shooting schools and weaponry. Today, they act against territorial communities to execute projects that generate a form of capital—an alternative capital.”
Initially, the São Paulo government downplayed the attack, calling it an internal conflict within the settlement. However, the MST has demanded a thorough federal investigation. They insist that the crime at the Olga Benário settlement must be fully investigated to identify and punish not only the direct perpetrators but also those who orchestrated and financed the attack. Simultaneously, the MST has organized mobilizations to denounce this crime and demand justice. The movement is also calling on the federal government to implement agrarian reform and provide enhanced protection for territories won through land struggles, as well as for Indigenous and Quilombola territories. In honor of the victims, the MST has launched a national tree-planting campaign.
Escalating Violence in Colombia: 11,000 Displaced and Approximately 56 Reported Homicides
In the Catatumbo subregion, ELN attacks have intensified against civilians, peace accord signatories, and social leaders.
- More than 11,000 forced displacements have been recorded.
- At least 56 homicides have been reported, with bodies often left in place, preventing burial.
- Disappearances and detentions of peace signatories and civilians have been reported, with no news of their fate.
Communities live in constant fear, with their daily lives disrupted, making basic activities like eating or sleeping difficult. The peasant economy is paralyzed, forcing people to flee to cities or neighboring countries like Venezuela.
Eliana Zafra (LVC South America – CPDH Colombia): “This situation primarily affects rural populations, peasant and ethnic communities in the country… So far, over 11,000 forced displacements have been recorded… and around 56 reported homicides, according to the Ombudsman’s Office.”
The current situation challenges the “total peace” policy of Gustavo Petro’s government. Despite efforts, violence continues to impact the most vulnerable.
Institutional fragility is evident through inadequate responses to the scale of violence and the necessary support for victims. State policies struggle to curb the expansion of armed groups and drug trafficking or to effectively protect peasant territories. The urgent need for territorialized peace in rural areas is increasingly recognized.
A comprehensive agrarian reform is demanded to ensure land access, support peasant development, and strengthen local initiatives—seen as essential for building lasting peace in Colombia.
Eliana (Colombia): “Despite all the institutional frameworks in place, responses remain very limited and provide little assurance against the extreme wave of violence and the necessary support for victims.”
Demands from Peasant Communities and Movements:
- A multilateral ceasefire and the establishment of humanitarian corridors are urgently needed.
- Armed actors must cease attacks on civilians and allow social and political organizations to work in the territories.
- Humanitarian assistance and inter-institutional intervention are required to protect affected populations.
- An appeal to international solidarity is launched to raise awareness of the crisis, aid response efforts, and ensure the safe return of displaced communities.
- Agrarian reform is demanded to guarantee land access and food production.
Eliana (Colombia): “We have called on armed actors, first and foremost, to cease hostilities against the social movement, against the peasant movement… to allow them to carry out their work, their social and political activities.”
In response to the massacres, communities demand that authorities provide humanitarian aid to victims of violence and establish humanitarian corridors to deliver aid to affected areas. They also call for greater state presence in rural areas through investment programs and initiatives that promote territorial peace. Assistance is needed to address the humanitarian crisis and ensure the safe return of displaced communities to their lands.
Eliana (Colombia): “We ask the authorities to provide all necessary humanitarian attention. To the international community, we once again ask you to turn your attention to our country.”
The Movement’s Response: Comprehensive Agrarian Reform
The MST demands that the Brazilian government revive an agrarian reform project that meets the needs of peasants by allocating unproductive land to this purpose. Agrarian reform is seen as a means to address a historical debt owed to peasants and rural workers.
In the current context of land speculation and violent attacks on peasants by militias and paramilitary groups, the implementation of agrarian reform emerges as a concrete solution that the federal government can enact to support peasant families living in encampments. By allocating already cultivated lands and other unproductive territories—often coveted by real estate companies—to those who feed the people and safeguard food security, authorities can put an end to rural violence, prevent conflicts, and protect food sovereignty.
Marcio (Brazil): “Agrarian reform is enshrined in the Brazilian Constitution. All unproductive lands that fail to fulfill their social function should be automatically allocated to agrarian reform.”
To achieve this, a well-equipped ministry with technical and operational capacity is essential. It must have the authority to expropriate unproductive lands, oversee their social function, and secure a sufficient budget to immediately settle landless families.
Marcio (Brazil): “The Brazilian state must embrace an agrarian reform project that truly meets the demands of our peasantry… Agrarian reform prevents conflicts, brings peace to rural Brazil… We want real agrarian reform, with a clear program that allows struggling families to secure land.”
Peasant struggle and mobilization remain crucial. Land occupations, marches, and protests must continue to pressure the government and ensure stability in rural territories. The movement also seeks to organize its communities in ways that make them less vulnerable to capitalist exploitation. This involves strengthening internal structures, creating defense mechanisms, and mobilizing communities to repel external threats.
Furthermore, the MST aims to curb agribusiness expansion, which transforms vast lands into monoculture plantations for the global market. Instead, the movement promotes an agricultural model centered on the needs of the Brazilian people rather than international trade.
Recognizing the global nature of their struggle, the MST seeks alliances with other peasant movements worldwide. Together, they fight against common enemies and advocate for agrarian reform. Their vision entails a profound transformation of land structures, ensuring fair access, security, and justice for rural communities. To realize this, a combination of popular mobilization, political will, and international solidarity is indispensable.
Implementing comprehensive agrarian reform is also essential in Colombia to curb the escalation of rural violence by addressing its root causes.
The reform aims to territorialize peace, meaning it reinforces state presence and institutions in rural areas to protect peasant rights. Colombian peasant organizations consider agrarian reform fundamental to liberating their territories from drug trafficking and establishing lasting peace. By preventing land concentration—one of the primary sources of inequality and conflict in Colombia’s rural regions—agrarian reform guarantees fair land access, security, and justice for rural communities.
However, comprehensive agrarian reform goes beyond land redistribution. It also encompasses economic, cultural, political, and organizational empowerment of peasant communities. By strengthening their autonomy, agrarian reform enables peasants to actively participate in decision-making regarding their territories and assert their role as political actors. This approach fosters a rural development model based on peasant-led food production, contributing to food sovereignty and local economies.
Eliana (Colombia): “The importance of implementing agrarian reform in our country is precisely to address one of the root causes of violence… It is the backbone of peace.”
Peasant movements urge the national government to maintain its commitment to peace and advance agrarian reform with direct involvement from peasant organizations. These organizations must have a voice in shaping public policies—both locally and nationally—so that they truly reflect their needs and demands. For agrarian reform to be effective, it must be implemented comprehensively, with strong state support and active participation from the peasantry.
From Peasant Alert, these testimonies remind us that the peasant struggle faces shared challenges: the expansion of capital into rural territories, the criminalization of popular organizations, and the urgent need to strengthen agrarian reform. Equally important is the development of alternative models of food production and distribution. Agroecology, community organization, and the solidarity of social movements have proven to be key strategies for resisting oppression and advancing food sovereignty.