Police operation evicting MST families in Bahia, Brazil. Photo: MST.
Families belonging to the Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (MST) from the Edivaldo Sena Camp, in Boa Esperança Farm, municipality of Rafael Jambeiro, Bahia state of Brazil, have been violently evicted by the Military Police.
More than 10 police vehicles participated in the operation on Saturday, May 17, which was carried out without the presence of any representative from the Ombudsperson’s Office.
The MST condemned the Bahia Public Security Secretariat (SSP-BA) for ordering the eviction, which represents a serious violation of human rights and disrespect for a previous judicial decision.
According to the movement, the families had established the camp more than three years ago and, after being evicted on April 30, they returned on May 16 to defend their legitimate right to the land, and that there was no new court order authorizing this second eviction.
Brazil’s Landless Rural Workers’ Movement to Coordinate Agroecological Project in Venezuela
In addition, the MST highlighted that in March 2025, the Fourth Civil Chamber of the Bahia Court of Justice issued a precautionary measure establishing a protocol for evictions, including a minimum notice of 45 days, mediation by the Ombudsperson’s Office, and humane conditions for the relocation of the families. None of these requirements was complied with during the police intervention this Saturday morning.
“The Military Police acted without legal backing, under direct orders from the SSP-BA, constituting a serious violation of human rights and disrespect for the Bahia Court of Justice,” said the MST in a statement. The movement also emphasized that this violent action protects the interests of large landowners allied to Bahia’s agribusiness who are trying to block the Agrarian Reform and criminalize social movements.
The persistent criminalization of the struggle for land in Brazil reveals the urgency of holding the oligarchs responsible and guaranteeing respect for the human rights of Brazilian peasant families and their right to live in dignity.
(Telesur)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/SC/DZ
