The Board and National Executive Coordination of the Pastoral Commission for Land (CPT), in public statement, manifest that, in the Brazilian actual context, “Nobody can avoid taking a stand. To omit oneself in a situation like this one, is giving support to regression and the disassembly of rights in our country. Now is the time of resistance to lie, hypocrisy and barbarity”. And reaffirm their commitment of more than four decades, to continue, always, “helping the people in rural areas in their struggle for rights and for a more dignified life”.
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PUBLIC STATEMENT OF PASTORAL COMMISSION OF LAND (CPT)
The CPT’s Board and National Executive Coordination assume as their duty to take a stand, without avoidance, at this time in which our nation’s destiny is upon serious risks. The peoples and communities in rural areas, to whom the CPT is at service for 43 years, are among those who will be the most affected in case of victory of the disassembly of rights project, defended by the candidate of the PSL.
A national wave based on hate, irrationality, lie and hypocrisy, is about to throw Brazil in a new barbaric era, interrupting the brief democratic interlude that we lived since the end of 1964 Civil-Military Dictatorship. The citizen constitution of 1988 that warrant it merely completed 30 years! This situation bring us to understand what Apocalypse chapter 13 translates at the time of the great persecution at the beginning of Christianity: “Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. Realized great wonders. Seduced the inhabitants of earth with the wonders that it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, convincing them to set up an image in honor of the Beast that would survive to the wound of the sword.” (Ap. 13, 11-14).
At this dark time, the manipulation of consciences attains unprecedented level by the mean of permanent diffusion of fake news by the so called “social networks”. And this lies diffusion obeys to one solely aim: to deconstruct the late years conquered social advances and implement in their place regressions which please the national ruling elites and the market.
These lies hide themselves behind a huge hypocrisy. The words, instead of revealing the truth, actually hide it or distort it. The backing to business elites, to the capital, is sold as a way to expand job creation and social welfare. The results of this type of politic, the poorest are already experiencing first hand, with a high rate of unemployment and job insecurity leading to substandard work conditions. And the constant appeal to God and to the word of God, is pushing the limits of blasphemy. It isn’t what the 2nd Commandment says: “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain!” God becomes, in the words of politicians and religious leaders, the guarantor of social regressions that shall overburden the shoulders of the poorest and more vulnerable of our nation.
But what worry us upmost is the accelerated growth of violence and barbarity. The lie and hypocrisy are fertile ground for hatred against “the others”. The preaching against the rights of minorities – Quilombolas (Maroon Communities), Indigenous, LGBTQ’s, – in favor of arms purchases by “good people”, defense of the military dictatorship and its torturers, proposing medal of honor for policemen and soldiers responsibilzed for murders, reduction of the criminal responsibility minimum age, in favor of transforming the struggle for land into terrorism acts, and the proposal of “putting an end point to all activism in Brazil”, is a clear speech of human rights disrespect, of disregard for the democracy. To defend the fight against violence by the use of violence is a safe conduct for the use of more violence. An unlimited spiral of violence! The attack that Bolsonaro himself has suffered give plenty of taste to the popular saying, which has roots in Proverbs 22, 8: “Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind”.
This violence spiral is already installed and only tends to grow: more than 60 people suffered physical violence between October 1st and 10th of 2018, among them more than 50 were done by Bolsonaro’s supporters. And not only were attacked those who in some way are trying to express their support to the other project, but it is willing to erase the memory of who fought in defense of the weakests’ rights, of justice and dignity, as it was the destruction of street signs in Rio de Janeiro, which were to remember the city councilor Marielle Franco (PSOL), murdered at the beginning of this year.
The CPT pointed out the rise of violence in the Brazilian rural area in the 3 last years, with a number each time bigger of people assassinated in the struggle for land. In 2017 were 71 people murdered, being 31 of them during 5 massacres. And, in this violence wave, the land struggle’s leaders, that are striving for land and in defense of original peoples and traditional communities, are being massacred. Only last week were murdered 3 people: the union leader in Pará, Aluísio Sampaio, the indigenous in Maranhão, Davi Gavião, and the indigenous from the Tenharin Etnic group, in Mato Grosso, Erivelton Tenharin, and in this same attack an other indigenous was wounded.
This is a moment of great reflection. Those who ruled the country before the political rupture that was the impeachment in 2016 did commit mistakes, indeed, still not assumed, but respected the democratic processes. It’s not what would do those who pretend at any cost remain in this usurped power! We want a nation where dialogue, respect and democracy flourish, being reaffirmed and consolidated, or a nation where hatred, violence and barbarity prevail and sacrifice our and the future generations?
It is the moment, also, to take care of us and to self-care. The perspective of persecutions and violence is getting people sickened and frightened. It is the time of being together, to strengthen the affections and faith, to feed life and hope and not to turn ourselves into victims manipulated by fake news that aim, precisely, to immobilize us. If fascism grows, our courage and hope redouble!
Nobody can avoid to take a stand. To leave out, to omit one self in a situation like this one is to support the regression and the disassembly of rights in our country. Now is the time to resist to lie, hypocrisy and barbarity. We urge to all, women and men, to this noble task, in the same time in which we will dedicate ourselves, in all levels of CPT, in all states, to conquer the votes that impeach the worst to happen! For this reason, on the Elections 2nd round, we are with Haddad and Manuela! May God help Brazil! The CPT will continue, always, helping peoples of the rural areas in their struggle for rights and a more decent life.
Goiânia (GO), October 16th 2018.
Board and National Executive Coordination of the Pastoral Commission of the Land (CPT).