José Bové Expelled From Brazil

URGENT COMMUNICATION

Via Campesina, an international movement of farmers, women and men, small and medium size producers, agricultural workers, rural women and indigenous communities, present with a strong delegation at the World Social Forum in Porto Alegre, Brazil, informs all members of worldwide organizations and the international community, that our friend José Bové, spokesmen of the Confederation Paysanne, member of the European Farmers Coordination (CPE) and distinguished activist of Via Campesina, is been expelled today from Brazil without any explanation and even less justification by the government of Dr. Fernando Henrique Cardoso. Via Campesina considers that behind this repressive act of the government of Brazil hides the powerful hand of the multinational Monsanto, principal producer of transgenic seeds and agro-chemical, worldwide. José Bové, Rafael Alegría and the delegation of the World Social Forum, participated in solidarity with the Movement of the Landless (MST), the Rural Women (AMNTR), the Movement of People Affected by Dams (MAB), the Movement of Small Farmers (MPA), all organizations of Brazil and active members of Via Campesina, in a protest action uprooting three hectares of genetically modified soja. They also occupied the offices and laboratories and neutralized genetically modified seeds of corn.

La Via Campesina emphatically condemns the repressive action of the government of Brazil, which can only be compared with the darkest times of the military dictatorship and demands the respect of the physical and moral integrity of José Bové, the leader and activist of MST, AMNTR, MAB, MPA and its international delegations, present in Porto Alegre, Brazil.

Further, Via Campesina urgently calls upon all its member organizations and brother and sister organizations worldwide, to express their solidarity to our friend José Bové and the Confederation Paysanne in France. At the same time, we ask you to express your solidarity for the farmer’s organizations in Brazil, take immediate protest actions in front of the embassies of Brazil in all countries, and send letters to President Cardoso condemning these flagrant violations of the human rights of our friends, women and men, in the struggle.

Let us maintain the state of alert concerning this new attack of the multinational corporations and the governments who support them. They are both basically afraid of the advances of the struggle of social movements against globalization and the neoliberal model.

LET’S GLOBALIZE THE STRUGGLE – LET’S GLOBALIZE THE HOPE
Porto Alegre, Brazil, January 30, 2001
International Coordination Committee of Via Campesina

Please send your letter to: Presidente F.H. Cardoso Palacio Planeto Brazil Fax: +55 (0) 61-2 26 75 66 Mail: pr@gov.br
To contact: Via Campesina Delegation on the phone: +55 51 96 84 82 90 Mail: viacampesina@hotmail.com