Under Brazilian law, nonproducing property can be seized for agrarian reform purposes. But the government's latest official survey does not list Tres Marias as unproductive.
Such discrepancies between the MST's data and the government's are not uncommon, but regardless of who is right, the landowners say they are fed up.
"We are ready for what I am convinced is an imminent conflict," Sa told The Associated Press. "We will not attack, but we are more determined than ever to use our constitutional right to use weapons to defend our land."
Brazil's constitution gives landowners the right to bear arms to protect their property against encroachers. ***
Impressive. I hope they put this right to good use. Seems that this da Silva character, like Chavez, is following the same old Marxist script: gain legitimate political power, proclaim a 'revolution', then use the Presidential power to foment a revolution of have-nots against property owners (the real revolution). Once the masses run riot over most of the country and the propertied classes are subdued or driven into exile, cement the revolution with absolute power (ala Cuba's 'President-for-life' Fidel Castro).