Brazil's Lula expropriates land for landless workers' settlement

After more than 20 years of land disputes, Brazilian President Lula has signed a decree expropriating a plot of land in São Paulo. The land, currently occupied by the Comuna da Terra Irmã Alberta, will be transformed into a land reform settlement, benefiting 55 families from the Landless Workers' Movement (MST).

The territory was negotiated between the federal government and the state's sanitation company, Sabesp. Sabesp had planned to build a landfill on the site, which had been occupied for 24 years. The families living there resisted eviction orders and negotiations to leave.

According to Renata Adrianna, an MST leader and resident, the Comuna da Terra is recognized for its agroecological production, yielding 10 tons of food annually, and its commitment to environmental preservation. The "Terra e Liberdade" cooperative manages the commercialization of these products through consumer groups and local markets.