In the first week of Red April, a month historically marked by land occupations, the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST) has already recorded invasions in ten states. Frustrated with the federal government’s delay in advancing agrarian reform, the movement is starting its actions at a more intense pace than last year, when the first occupation only took place on 10 April.
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Occupations So Far
Actions have occurred in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Pernambuco, Paraíba, Goiás, Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Sergipe, and Pará. A total of 22 invasions have been recorded so far, including farms and offices of the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (INCRA), as well as the Secretariat of Agrarian Development in Fortaleza, Ceará. This figure already represents 62% of the total for 2024, when 35 such actions were carried out.
Largest Mobilization
The largest mobilization took place in Goiana, in the interior of Pernambuco, where 800 families occupied the Santa Teresa Sugar Mill. Also in Pernambuco, 400 families invaded a farm in Petrolina. In Minas Gerais, 600 MST families gathered alongside the BR-116 highway, in Frei Inocêncio, demanding that the Rancho Grande Farm be converted into a settlement. In Rio de Janeiro, the action occurred in Campos dos Goytacazes, while in São Paulo, it was in Rio das Pedras.
Dissatisfaction
These occupations are happening amid growing dissatisfaction with President Lula (PT). In March, Lula announced public notices and credit lines for agrarian reform at an event held in an MST settlement. According to a statement from the movement, the landless are attempting to signal to the government the urgent need for broader and more decisive action on agrarian reform.
Red April
Red April commemorates the anniversary of the Eldorado dos Carajás massacre, in which 21 landless workers were killed in 1996. It has traditionally been used as a moment of protest and pressure. Last year, 35 occupations were recorded, but most occurred after mid-April. In addition to calling for faster progress in agrarian reform, the MST has demanded the dismissal of Minister Paulo Teixeira, criticizing the ministry’s lack of prioritization of land reform efforts.
Analysis:
The early and intensified wave of land occupations during the first week of Red April reflects a renewed sense of urgency and frustration within the Landless Workers’ Movement (MST). Historically symbolic, this annual period of mobilization has taken on a sharper tone in 2025, signaling growing tension between the MST and the Lula administration. With 22 occupations already recorded in 10 states — nearly two-thirds of all actions recorded in 2024 — the movement is escalating its pressure campaign for tangible progress in agrarian reform.
The widespread geographic reach of the occupations — from the North to the Southeast — illustrates the national scale of discontent and the persistent inequalities in land distribution. The MST’s explicit dissatisfaction with the federal government, despite recent announcements of credit lines and reform-related public notices, shows a disconnect between policy rhetoric and implementation. The demand for the removal of Minister Paulo Teixeira also reflects internal divisions and the perception that agrarian reform is not being treated as a government priority.
Sources: A Folha de SP; O Globo.
