The catholic church, the sindicate of rural workers and the State : mediation and conflict in the Araguaia paraense region

Abstract

This article analyses the performance of the Catholic Church and the Peasants Trade Union of Conceição do Araguaia, and the action of State organs in the land conflicts in the Araguaia region, state of Pará – Oriental Amazonia – between the years 1975 and 1990. The role of the Church and of the Peasants Trade Union had legitimized the land users rights. In addition it has given them strength in disputed areas and it has encouraged their struggle. Even though thoseinstitutions were not political parties, they were able to politicized the conflicts and gave them a wider dimension, in the national political scenario. But, while those institutions were supporting and defending land users, they also had to face State organs and capitalists. In this way, the issue of land’s rights was not only a locus of confrontation between land users and land owners, but also between mediators and State organisms during the process of conflict management.