Brazil

Solidarity appeal for the Movement of "Roofless" workers

www.socialistworld.net, 23/08/2007
website of the committee for a workers' international, CWI

350 families threatened with eviction, send letters of protest.

Socialismo Revolucionario, CWI Brasil

Activist from the MTST, the Movement of homeless workers, are engaged in a hard struggle against the forced eviction of 350 families from the João Cândido occupation in the city of Itapecerica da Serra, near São Paulo, Brazil.

The city administration promised to finance a program of cheap housing that ended a mass occupation of land last March (Brazil: Hundreds of "Roofless" occupy plot of land) and agreed that 350 families could move to a plot of land provided by the city administration. Now these families are threatened with eviction before any new houses have been built. We ask for urgent messages of protest by e-mail or fax to be sent to the mayor and to councillors of the city.

Model letter:

To the mayor of Itapecerica da Serra, Mr Jorge Costa

To the councillors of Itapecerica da Serra

We are expressing our solidarity and support to the Movement of Roofless Workers (MTST) and specifically to the men and women struggling for the basic right of decent housing.

We protest against the threatened eviction which would to nothing to solve the problem and would have tragic consequences for the families involved. We urge the council to honour its promise of building social housing and assure the implementation of the agreements signed with the MTST. Any use of violence against the MTST or the families occupying the land will receive worldwide condemnation and lead to further international solidarity action.

Please send to:

Prefeito (leader of the council) Jorge Costa

Fax: +55 11 4667-1422

prefeitura@itapecerica.com.br

Presidente da Câmara (chair of the council)

Fax: + 55 11 4667-1081

chuvisco@camaraitapecerica.sp.gov.br

1 Secretário

Fax: +55 11 4667-1081

ronildo@camaraitapecerica.sp.gov.br

2 Secretário

Fax: +55 11 4667-1077

clovispinto@camaraitapecerica.sp.gov.br

clovispintob@ig.com.br

Please send copies to:

guilhermemtst@gmail.com

subtaboao@terra.com.br