On April 15, 2024, São Paulo Governor Tarcísio de Freitas took a firm stand against the Landless Rural Workers’ Movement (MST).
In a decisive declaration, he announced that his administration would not tolerate any land invasions in the state.
This statement came in response to the MST seizing 23 properties during the recent “Red April” demonstrations.
Governor Freitas detailed swift state actions to end these occupations, noting issues in Campinas and Agudos.
These towns are key in Brazil’s land disputes narrative; the MST’s April actions affected ten states.
The same day Freitas spoke out, Goiás’s Military Police resolved an occupation in Vila Boa.
They detained six leaders, charging them with trespassing, threats, and property damage, as reported by the state’s Public Security Secretary.
Amid these tensions, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva introduced the “Land for People” program.
This ambitious initiative aims to allocate so-called ‘idle lands’ for agrarian reform, effectively making them available to landless individuals.
It categorizes properties into those already owned, those being acquired, and those earmarked due to significant Union debts.
Additionally, it focuses on lands labeled as ‘unproductive’ by the Lula administration, inspected by Incra, which fail to ‘meet their social functions’.
Governor Freitas Declares No Tolerance for Land Invasions in São Paulo
The “Land for People” program also includes lands from banks, public companies, and those associated with illegal activities.
It sets out to restructure land ownership, targeting federal and state lands and even incorporating donated lands.
By 2026, the initiative plans to support 295,000 farming families.
This number includes 74,000 newly settled families and 221,000 with regularized plots, marking an 877% increase since 2017.
In 2024, the Brazilian government has allocated R$ 520 million ($100 million) for property purchases to improve land distribution and boost agricultural productivity.