Land, Water and Territories

Haiti: Peasants defend their Food Sovereignty amidst new attempts at international interference

The threat of military intervention looms large in Haiti. To make matters worse for the people, the neighboring Dominican Republic is closing the border amid accusations of river diversion. The Dominican government’s decision is unjustified and violates the legitimate right of the Haitian people to the equitable use of shared water resources at the border. Under international law and existing bilateral treaties, Haiti has the right to use this shared water source.

Haiti Mission: Joint Solidarity Declaration with the Haitian peasantry

“A Haitian Solution for the Haitian Crisis,” free from the intrusion of corrupt and imperialist powers responsible for the social, political, and economic violence. We vehemently reject the threats of military interventions from the “core group”. Previous invasions further deteriorated the living conditions of the Haitian people. We commit to continuing our support for the Haitian people in their just demands.

Haiti: 36 years after the massacre, the peasant struggle continues

36 years ago, a tragedy struck Haitian peasantry when 139 peasants, members of the organization Tèt Kole Ti Peyizan Ayisyen, lost their lives in one of the largest massacres ever seen in the country. The regime of Henry Nanphy, the Lucas family, the Poitvien family, and a faction of the Catholic Church in collusion with the American embassy in Haiti were responsible for this terrible atrocity. This massacre is one of the bloodiest episodes in the country’s history.

India: Peasants in Karnataka are protesting forceful acquisition of 1773 acres of fertile land

This year, KRRS members commemorated the 43rd Peasant Martyrs Day in Channarayapattana of Devanahalli, near Bangalore International Airport, where the farmers have been sitting on an indefinite protest strike for 473 days against the forceful acquisition of 1773 acres of fertile land. Farmers of 13 villages in Channarayapatna Hobli near Bengaluru have been protesting for over 15 months.

VIDEO: Life inside an MST landless workers’ settlement in Brazil

For nearly 40 years, Brazil’s Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) has been fighting the concentration of landownership among the country’s elite through the direct occupation and settlement of fallow lands. Now a Parliamentary Inquiry Commission, which has been set up to investigate the activities of Brazil’s Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (MST), actually seeks to divert focus from illegal actions committed by agribusiness.

Hugo Blanco: A man who loved humanity and Mother Earth

La Vía Campesina recognizes the enormous political, social and humanist legacy of our comrade Hugo Blanco, a Peruvian and internationalist, who died yesterday in Sweden. His militancy and commitment marked the organization of peasant farmers for agrarian reform in the 20th century, not only in Peru, but also throughout Latin America.