BRASILIA - Members of the Parliamentary Agricultural Front (FPA) are working to include a section in the anti-gang bill, authored by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s government, to characterize the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST) as a criminal organization.

The president of the FPA, Pedro Lupion (Republicanos-PR), had already presented an amendment on Tuesday, the 11th, which prohibits the State from offering protection to groups “involved in the practice of crimes against private or public property”.

This Wednesday, the 12th, after the presentation of the last report by Guilherme Derrite (PP-SP), Lúcio Mosquini (MDB-RO) presented another amendment that includes an article in the Law on Criminal Organizations, which would classify as such groups that have “the purpose of invading rural properties, degrading environmental preservation areas, destroying native vegetation, practicing extortion against rural landowners or any related crimes”.

“Such conduct, although often disguised as political or social acts, constitutes genuine organized criminal activity, with a hierarchical structure, division of tasks, and self-financing,” Mosquini explained.

This amendment has the support of 23 other deputies - among them the leader of the PL, Sóstenes Cavalcante (RJ), and the leader of the Republicanos, Gilberto Abramo (MG). Republicanos is the party of the Speaker of the House, Hugo Motta (PB). Mosquini is responsible for the rural debt commission of the FPA.

In the new text presented, Derrite backtracked and withdrew proposed changes to the anti-terrorism law and sections that could alter the powers of the Federal Police in response to criticism from the government.

The expectation is that the Chamber will vote on the anti-gang bill this Wednesday.