Peasant groups blockade North-South Railway in Tocantins

More than 100 people from approximately 15 peasant communities, organized by the MST and the Articulação Camponesa de Luta pela Terra e Defesa dos Territórios do Tocantins, occupied the banks of the North-South Railway near the Palmeirante terminal in Tocantins, Brazil. The mobilization aims to disrupt freight train circulation between Estreito and Colinas do Tocantins to pressure the Federal Government.

The protesters are demanding that the government finalize the purchase of the Fazenda Recreio/Freitas by INCRA to establish the Gabriel Filho Settlement Project. While the acquisition of the 969-hectare area has been authorized, the process is reportedly stalled due to a lack of budget release following a federal decree blocking R$ 23.678 billion in expenses.

The movement describes the occupation as a peaceful and indefinite action intended to force dialogue after administrative channels were exhausted. The community involved bears the name of Gabriel Vicente de Souza Filho, a rural worker killed in 2010, and organizers report a long history of threats and persecution regarding land rights in the region.