Land and Freedom: The MST, the Zapatistas and Peasant Alternatives to Neoliberalism

by Leandro Vergara-Camus

The Zapatistas of Chiapas and the Landless Rural Workers' Movement (MST) of Brazil are often celebrated as shining examples in the global struggle against neoliberalism. But what have these movements achieved for their members in more than two decades of resistance and can any of these achievements realistically contribute to the rise of a viable alternative?

Through a perfect balance of grassroots testimonies, participative observation and consideration of key debates in development studies, agrarian political economy, historical sociology and critical political economy, Land and Freedom compares, for the first time, the Zapatista and MST movements.

Casting a spotlight on their resistance to globalizing market forces, Vergara-Camus gets to the heart of how these movements organize themselves and how territorial control, politicization and empowerment of their membership and the decommodification of social relations are key to understanding their radical development potential.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Brazil

368 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Martin Empson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Over the last decade the Zapatista movement in Mexico and, to a lesser extent, the Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra (MST) in Brazil have been inspirational examples of rural and peasant movements. The MST's occupations of land, or the Zapatisa's defence of indigenous peoples land and both groups' attempts to develop new economic and social paradigms have inspired and provoked debate for many on the anti-capitalist left.

Thus Leandro Vergara-Camus' new book, which comparatively analyses the two movements, is very important. From my point of view I found it particularly interesting at a time when the question of peasant struggles and rural movements has receded somewhat from discussion among Marxist activists. Both the MST and the Zapatistas are important because they are both contemporary movements and their struggles and strategies may offer insights into wider peasant movements in more revolutionary times.

Much of the authors' work is based on years of research which included extended periods living with, and interviewing both MST and Zapatista activists. The MST is a movement of landless workers that attempts through a process of occupations to win land for those who don't have it. It begins with a preparatory period prior to land occupation, followed by a hopefully successful occupation, then by entrenchment of a new community. The Zapatistas, while aiming to control rural space as well, have tended to protect established communities, expelling Mexican state forces and, where necessary, being prepared to mobilise peasants and their own military forces to protect this control.

My full review is online here:

http://resolutereader.blogspot.co.uk/...

[Will Beyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I forgot to log this as it was honestly a few years of on and off revisits, but I powered through during my time in Brazil earlier last year. Fairly dense academic stuff, but as someone very interested broadly in learning more about the EZLN in Chiapas and the Movimento Sem Terra in Brasil, and always interested in topics of land reform and diffuse grassroots political organization, it was a ton of great info.

[Olivia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book to further knowledge of MST and EZLN, I say that because without a working knowledge of both movements this book would be ridiculously complicated (and subsequently I got on far better with the MST sections!). Really interesting though and I see it being a loyal companion in my further studies.