J. Petras, PEASANT MOVEMENTS - THE POLITICAL AND SOCIAL BASIS OF REGIONAL VARIATION IN LAND OCCUPATIONS IN BRAZIL, Journal of peasant studies, 25(4), 1998, pp. 124-133
Land occupations led by Brazil's most dynamic social movement the Land
less Workers Movement (MST) began as a regional phenomenon. The south-
east and the north-east regions were initially the centres of land occ
upations. The successful occupations in these areas were influenced by
the origins of the movement, their proximity to urban areas with symp
athetic support networks, concentrations of landless workers and the a
vailability of vast areas of uncultivated land initial land settlement
s led to successful occupations in adjoining areas. Conditions which l
ed to successful organising were later systematised by the MST leaders
into a national strategy. Subsequently this strategy directed social
intervention in other regions and created the basis for the extension
of land occupations in regions beyond their original areas of strength
. The extension of successful land occupations to new areas has been b
ased on the 'transplantation' of leaders and the recruitment of local
cadres who have assimilated the lessons of earlier experience. The MST
has been transformed from a regional to a national movement. In the p
rocess, the MST has moved from a sectoral 'agrarian reform' social mov
ement to a political movement with a national political agenda.