The Struggle for Agrarian Reform in Tocantins and the Legacy of Violence
April 28, 2025
TheThe fight for agrarian reform in Tocantins remains a fierce battle, marked by historical violence and contemporary repression. The region, still haunted by the brutal legacy of the Araguaia Guerrilla War, continues to witness state-sanctioned violence carried out by military police, federal forces, and even the army. In 2024, Tocantins recorded the highest number of death threats against MST (Landless Workers' Movement) activists and organized rural workers, reflecting an alarming escalation in repression.
According to the Pastoral Land Commission (CPT), land and water conflicts surged in Brazil in 2024 compared to the previous year. Land disputes rose from 1,724 to 1,768, while water-related conflicts increased from 225 to 266. The report also highlights a spike in pesticide contamination and a record number of death threats against rural activists. Of the total land conflicts, 1,624 involved violent evictions, with Maranhão leading in cases (363), followed by Pará (234), Bahia (135), and Tocantins (46).
The expansion of agribusiness has intensified land disputes in Tocantins. Soy plantations have grown 185 times in conflict zones, displacing traditional communities and small farmers. On the night of April 17, 2025, landowners joined military police to violently evict 100 families from the Taboca settlement in Monte do Carmo. The families, linked to the MST, reported threats, intimidation, and destruction of personal property,a stark reminder of the state’s complicity in landowner violence.
Although the land in question is legally recognized as federal property, pending regularization, authorities have allowed armed forces and mercenary militias to carry out illegal evictions. This reflects a broader pattern of criminalizing landless movements while protecting powerful agribusiness interests.
On April 17, 2025,the International Day of Peasant Struggle,MST families reoccupied the Taboca settlement in Serra do Taquaruçu, reaffirming their right to land. Simultaneously, 300 families set up camp in front of INCRA (National Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform) in Palmas, demanding justice and agrarian reform.
However, the response from the Tocantins state government has been repression rather than dialogue. MST members from the Beatriz Bandeira camp in Caseara reported being assaulted by military police during an illegal raid. These actions expose the state’s role in facilitating violence against rural workers.
The current state administration has not only tolerated but actively enabled the formation of armed militias to carry out violent evictions. This mercenary violence echoes the darkest days of the Araguaia Guerrilla War, when state forces executed, tortured, and disappeared peasants fighting for their rights.
Today, the MST and other rural movements resist this oppressive legacy, but the threats persist. The struggle for land in Tocantins is not just about agrarian reform,it is a fight against historical impunity and the ongoing criminalization of the poor.
The international community must denounce these human rights violations. The Brazilian state must be held accountable for allowing police and militia violence to replace justice. Agrarian reform is not just a social demand,it is a necessity for democracy.
I stand with the MST and all rural workers in Tocantins. Land for those who work it,not for those who destroy it with violence and greed.
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