Women’s Role in the Fierce Battle of Barro Branco
F.W.
November 29, 2024
The Red Herald shared an article about the Women’s Popular Movement (Movimento Feminino Popular) of the Brazilian people, along with an unofficial translation.
On September 28, illegal squatters from the Barro Branco area of Jacaira, Pernambuco, faced an invasion by 50 armed thugs. These thugs, armed with three anti-excavator bulldozers, stormed farmers’ lands in an attempt to destroy their homes and the headquarters of the Barro Branco Association, continuing the land grab process initiated nine years ago by large landowners and land thieves, Gileherme Maranhão. Students and farmers from nearby areas united to bravely resist the criminals, forcing them to retreat. Faced with the farmers’ fierce resistance, the criminals were overwhelmed and fled in disgrace.
The victory of the farmers’ resistance movement owes much to the role played by women. They stand at the forefront of the organization against and in the farmers’ struggle, leading work committees, undertaking arduous tasks, and defeating large landowners. Every day, women farmers of Barro Branco defend their land and livelihoods, fully asserting their rights, which also highlights the crucial role of rural women in advancing land reform in our country.
Barro Branco Power Plant
In Jacaira, Pernambuco, the Frei Caneca Power Plant (Usina Frei Caneca), owned by the Jardim family, operated until the late 1990s, recreating the era of slavery. After bankruptcy, the Jardim family’s land oligarchs owed Pernambuco state, unions, and thousands of workers millions of reais—workers who lived under slavery conditions during the operation of the plant. This debt, amounting to millions, was never repaid, and families living in the area remain landowners of Barro Branco. In 2019, the Jardim family leased over 5,000 hectares to Agropecuária Mata Sul S/A, owned by the large landowner Gileherme Maranhão, on land already occupied by hundreds of squatters. To evict them and expand export-oriented livestock farming, Maranhão launched multiple attacks on farmers. The large landowner often sent thugs to threaten them, poured poison into water sources—supplying not only Barro Branco but the entire Jacaira area—contaminating water sources with cattle excrement, destroying squatters’ plantations, and repeatedly attempting illegal evictions, along with many cowardly acts against farmers.
In this context, over a decade ago, these squatters began organizing to ensure the permanence of their ancestral lands. Now, under the guidance of the Landless People’s Movement (LCP), they raise the banner of land revolution, demanding the conquest of all land and the end of the large estate system that occupies people’s land. Farmers employ various struggle tactics—organizing activities, distributing leaflets, holding mass meetings—to demand that authorities legally register their land rights and spread a spirit of fierce resistance among the people. Corrupt local police and estate paramilitary groups, attempting to criminalize the farmers’ revolutionary struggle, persecute them, imposing numerous restrictions.
Women farmers play a vital role in defending Barro Branco’s land.
The struggles of the residents of the squatters’ settlements in Barro Branco also belong to these landowning women. Organizing rural women is essential so they can undertake the tasks of the land and national revolution movements. Since the Landless People’s Movement arrived at Engenho, the MFP immediately took on this responsibility, holding numerous important meetings with women from the squatters’ settlements and dedicating itself to organizing tasks to further develop these women farmers.
Women farmers are often present in the area all day, forming a favorable situation. Historically, they have always been at the frontlines confronting thugs and local police, resolutely defending Barro Branco’s land. Because of this, the daughters of these lands have clearly embodied the anger of the women’s revolution and have always been engaged in fierce struggles against large landowners.
Clara, born and raised on these lands, reports frequent attacks—her house was arbitrarily entered by police under the orders of the large landowner, who harassed her and broke some of her belongings. During these conflicts, this woman farmer bravely defended her home, family, and dignity. Clara’s courage and resilience are reflected in all her sister fighters, as one comrade said at an MFP meeting: “None of us should give up the struggle; we are like a chain, giving strength to each other.”
[Video 1: Clara denounces the persecution of farmers, forcing the large landowner’s henchmen to retreat.]
This is evident in the active participation of women comrades in all areas of the Barro Branco farmers’ movement. To prepare mentally and materially for the most intense moments of the struggle against the large landowners, daily work must be done. These tasks are undertaken by women comrades, who lead in health, food, agitation, and propaganda committees, build fences, prepare pé de moleque every two weeks, and raise funds for the Engenho Barro Branco Association—used for meetings, travel, food, etc.—practicing the second principle of the MFP: “Maintain independence in the struggle, always relying on our own strength.” In daily struggles against local police and thugs, they mainly elevate the ideological level of the fight of Barro Branco.
Women stand at the forefront of raising the Palestinian flag, understanding the internationalist nature of class struggle and recognizing the similarities in the heroic resistance of peoples under imperialist tyranny. As Elizabeth—a prominent peasant leader—who has always dedicated herself to advancing the struggle of all people of Barro Branco, especially her women comrades, recalls: “Before raising the flag, we first learned the procedure for raising the flag and how to raise the flags of the alliance and Palestine simultaneously. We held a meeting, voted multiple times, and more than 130 raised their hands in support of raising the flag. This was a turning point in Barro Branco’s history, with the people standing with the alliance, and now Barro Branco is no longer the backward place it once was.”
The fierce battle of Barro Branco
On September 28, 50 armed thugs, riding in 14 pickup trucks and carrying three anti-excavator bulldozers, supported by police from different cities in the region, invaded the squatters’ settlement, attempting to illegally evict these families. These thugs were hired by Agropecuária Mata Sul S/A, destroying two farmers’ homes and installing electronic fences on one of the lands.
The residents of the squatters’ settlement quickly prepared for self-defense, fighting back fiercely with sickles, hoes, sticks, and stones. They temporarily built barricades to stop the advancing thugs. Students, activists, and farmers from surrounding areas arrived to support the squatters, strengthening the resistance against the hired mercenaries. They raised red flags, sang revolutionary songs, and shouted revolutionary slogans to intimidate the enemies.
The revolutionary faith of women comrades pushed them to the front lines of the fight. Sandra, without hesitation, threw herself into the trenches of land struggle, fighting alongside farmers and students. Recalling her battlefield journey, Sandra said: “I was alone, holding a sickle, with God by my side. Then my man said: ‘Are you going among these people alone? For God’s sake, come back!’ I said: ‘I won’t go, I won’t come back at all,’ and I put the sickle on my back and went.” She continued: when she met her comrades, she saw the cowardly police: “They (military police) ran into the banana plantation and behind the church, and one of them told me to put away my sickle and go inside. I told him, ‘Do you think I am like you? Who is hiding, afraid of being shot? I want to be with the youth and the people, telling them that if I die, I will die happily. I will shed my blood in the struggle!’”
Around 2 p.m., the thugs fled through the back door, afraid of the fearless resistance of farmers and students. Among the cowards was José Antônio Fonseca Melo, president of the Pernambuco Zero Invasion Movement, who was shot in the abdomen during the confrontation. His confidant was also shot, and ten others were injured. This was the first armed action by a paramilitary organization in Pernambuco, and the brave performance of the farmers demonstrated the importance of organizing the people through independence, class struggle, and revolution to claim their rights. During the fight, two farmers and a student from the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE) were also shot but were unharmed.
The shot female farmer, who lives nearby, approached the scene after visiting a friend, with a gunshot wound in her shoulder. “I hadn’t even arrived when I was shot. They don’t care at all; whoever is in front has to die. The police did nothing; they support them (the thugs),” she told the Barro Branco Squatters’ Resistance Committee. Despite her injury, she drove home after treatment at Jacaira Hospital. This is the common attitude among farmers—they are not discouraged by the struggle and remain proud even in the face of the worst attacks.
Long before the fight, the relationship between students and farmers was very close. The most combative youth in Recife understood their class responsibility within the Revolutionary People’s Alliance. They not only supported the struggle of Barro Branco’s squatters but also willingly carried out tasks necessary to advance the revolution. When this woman farmer spoke of this connection, she smiled, just as Sandra said: “When you (students) first came here, you brought that atmosphere and strength, giving everyone courage. In some way, we formed an unbreakable bond with you. Now, no one can take us away from here.” Based on this unity, the education student Ana Cecília fearlessly joined the fierce battle. After being shot in the right leg, Cecília was hospitalized but insisted on returning to Barro Branco to stand with her colleagues and farmers until the mission was complete. Cecília’s heroic act inspires all young fighters to serve the people wholeheartedly, standing firm in the class struggle even on the most difficult paths, because our victory over the enemy is certain, and people’s unity is the greatest shield.
Comrade Elizabeth has an accurate view of the conflict on the 28th: “It was a great battle because we won! With the organization skills of the people, with comrades carrying only machetes, sickles, and sticks, we achieved victory! They had heavy weapons, over fifty people, all armed, but they couldn’t retreat along the entry route—they returned from elsewhere, all scared.” She also recognized the gains from this victory: “The fight we faced made us more determined, stronger, and better prepared. We won’t bow our heads! Not only me, but all my comrades—if we stay together, people will say ‘Let’s move forward, let’s unite, and become even more united!’” After the battle, police persecution continued. They deployed surveillance drones, intimidated residents during patrols, and even stationed military police inside the municipal school on the farm, often frightening children and harassing their families. Farmers strongly oppose the police presence, especially mothers and grandmothers in the community, who often discuss and condemn the cowardly acts against children. Children even looked forward to pajama night organized by teachers, but it was canceled because police slept in the classroom.
Police were also found walking around the school in underwear. Comrade Rosa, angry about the setbacks faced by children, complained: “Children can’t sleep in pajamas, but police can walk around all day in underwear? The fight against this organized harassment extends to all situations, making those who still believe police protect them realize that police are reactionary tools and must be defeated alongside the large landowners, as the slogans hanging around the area declare: ‘Police serve thieves, get out!’”
The land revolution in Barro Branco is deeply rooted and proves to be the true solution to internal conflicts among the people. The vibrant spirit of women farmers and students embodies the bright future of the working class’s victory and radiates hope. Elizabeth confidently concluded the interview, describing the fate of the residents of the Barro Branco squatters’ settlement: “I see my future, not only mine but also that of my women comrades. We will own land, produce, harvest, and live off the land. We are all here, eager to obtain the land we desire.” This is the fate of all oppressed rural people, who organize and use revolutionary violence to conquer all land, serving those who live and work there!
Fictional names are used to protect the identities of illegal squatters.
