MST-Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem Terra, Brazil, and "Keno"
Nominated for Other (specify below)
Nominated by Paca Villa () – Thursday 01 May 2008
Reasons for this nomination
Category: (COG AWARD) either "Best people defense" , or "Best People and Environment Defense"
I nominate the MST, for their continuous brave fight against GMOs in Brazil, and as a homage in memory of Valmir Mota de Oliveira aka “Keno”, a MST member that was shot dead October 2007 by an armed militia, contracted by Syngenta, one of the largest seed and agrotoxic companies in the world. Keno was together with 150 other MST members occupying a Syngenta illegal GM maize field trial. A private militia shot several of them in cold blood, to try to evict the area. Keno was dead and several others injured. The Syngenta field was illegal because it was in the buffer zone of the Iguazu National Park (the park that hosts the famous falls), adn the Brazilian law doens´t allow GMOS in National Parks. The occupation of the field happened during COP8 in Curitiba (Curitiba is in the State of Parana), to draw attention about this illegal situation, and to show to the world delegates meeting at COP, how agribusiness violate national rules and tramp the environment and peasant´s rights. (much more information at the links below)
Supporting info
http://www.earthfirst.org.uk/actionreports/node/6349
http://www.mstbrazil.org/?q=valmirmotadeoliveiraakakeno42
http://www.viacampesina.org/main_en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=461&Itemid=37
http://www.viacampesina.org/main_en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=455&Itemid=37