[asia-apec 1440] Action Alert - Support Landless Protesting in Brazil

[Anuradha Mittal]

Food First Action Alert
May 5, 2000

MILITARY POLICE ATTACK LANDLESS MARCH, KILLING ONE
AND INJURING DOZENS IN PARANÁ STATE, BRAZIL

On May 2, close to 1,000 military police intercepted 50 buses carrying 
roughly 500 sem terra (landless laborers) on highway BR 277 about three 
miles from Curitiba, the capital of southern Paraná state.  Before the 
landless had exited the buses, police began throwing tear gas canisters 
and firing rubber bullets (and some real bullets) at them.  One of the 
landless, Antonio Tavares Pereira, 30, the father of five children, was 
shot in the chest and later died.  Another man was seen by witnesses 
after having been shot in the head. He has not been seen since, however. 
Other landless are reported missing. Local groups continue to 
investigate their whereabouts.

In addition to the death of Antonio Tavares Pereira, and the possible
disappearances, the results of the violent action were at least 60 
injured (and treated at local hospitals). The landless believe that 
number to be above 150, given that most of the injured did not receive 
any treatment and thus were not registered as such.

We request that you please forward this information to relevant E-mail 
lists and write to the relevant Brazilian authorities, expressing 
concern:

Governador Jaime Lerner:
Praça N.S. da Salete, s/n
Curitiba, PR - Brasil
E-mail:    scgg at pr.gov.br
Fax:       55-41-254-7345
Telephone: 55-41-350-2400

President Fernando Henrique Cardoso
Praça dos Três Poderes
Palácio do Planalto, 3° andar
70.150-900 Brasília DF
E-mail:    pr at planalto.gov.br
Fax:       55-61 322-2314
Telephone: 55-61-411-1169


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