Labor Day Countdown

May First, Labor Day. A date marked by struggle, but often nowadays a date marked by the innocence of humanity attempting to discover human rights. We have so few human rights that sometimes I believe we don´t have any at all.

It´s almost three in the afternoon and I´ve returned to the MTST (Movement for the Roofless Workers) camp Joao Candido. They have been out all morning marching downtown for their rights. The leaders compromised of students, militants, lawyers and vast army of popular supporters have united behind the movement to fight a pending eviction threat for Monday, May 7th. The mood in the camp was nothing but surprising. They are in their fighting mode and expecting to win a settlement that will at least drive them from where they are now to another land.

At the uppermost part of the camp, lies section 33. The last area of a total of 33. A group of children and their mother are playing soccer across one of the three they have established. Football may be a birthright in Brazil, but here each field is the only center of entertainment and a form of unison for the movement´s cause. Joao Rodriguez de Jesus, 55 years old, missing all his from teeth and originally from Bahia, is watching alongside three other elder sitting on a log. Leliel, only five years old and with the enthusiasm of gazelle. danced around Joao begging for attention. She also begged to be snapped by the camera. She kept calling out to him, ¨Tio, Tio¨(meaning uncle in Portuguese, but commonly used to refer to an elder friend). I asked to take their portrait and while doing so, tears rolled down Joao´s face. His eyes were small and his face showed the hardships of the land. At first I thought his eyes were ill and that the incessant tears were simply washing out his eyes from some malday. I asked him what was wrong with his eyes. Nothing he told me. They cry because of her. Joao explained to me that Leliel´s father was in jail and still to see a child so happy and full of life on this camp, struggling for a home, made him cry when she called out to him as ¨Tio¨. Joao has lost all hiss family..

The next morning the camp began gathering at its base, preparing for another march to Itapecerica´s city hall. One more of many efforts to come, to pressure the mayor into finding them a solution. Maria Bonita, in her mid 50´s, she would not confess her age, was leading section 12. Her hat was a true representative of the land, the people and their struggle. Yet it was her hard cold eyes and their determination that really demanded a portrait.

Exodus

The Prestes Maia 911 occupation by the MSTC, after a four year battle for a dignified home, has lost and the building is now being vacated.

Beyond the Roof of the City

It's about to rain and heavily. Some 3,000 families are camped out under improvised plastic tents since March 16, demanding proper housing. They are part of the the MTST (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem Teto). The movement has occupied a farm area of over 1,300 square meters, just outside the southern edge of the city of São Paulo, in Itapecerica da Serra. It's a political attempt to further the cause of the lack of proper habitat and part of on going race to reach Labor Day celebrations/protest.

It's sad to see these people here. Most of them really don't seem to know what they're doing. Many come from the northeast. Many have lost their jobs and can no longer pay rent. Others come from the adjoining urbanization and are supporting the movement. Many have abandoned the site too. It's most evident among the hundreds of abandoned single person tents.

The camp includes some small commerce, mostly bars. It's like the begining of another periphery. Yet the illusion is that this is a grand scale occupation when in fact the original 12,000 population has been leaving. The population now floats on a daily basis. However, it's important to note that these people are in dire need of a home and have been flowing from the inner middle of the city and past the periphery. In other words the city may have reached it's denominated urban limit, but the population grows and wants to lay down new concrete that will adjoin to it. The Meta city is growning alive and well.

I walked the camp from edge to edge with "Tres Reais", a sympathetic ex marine corp who abandoned the military, tired of seeing the abuse he had to give to his own people. In fact he himself has participated of various disoccupations. He is here now to fight against that and support the cause. And find a home.

Most of the people I met had the same, perhaps orchestrated answer? "We are here because we are homeless." Some I could admit looked the part. Others, like the young crew cooking barbecue inside a smokey tent, seemed to have come in for a laugh and to add to the list of families. They came from the neighboring urbanization. It doesn't matter really, as if these families are not enough, there are hundreds of them elsewhere in the city in worse conditions.

The rain finally came, in a downpour and with it the wind that lifted a few tents. I took shelter with a family who explained to me how they had lost their rent privileges due to a single delayed payment. Unemployment wasn't helping. The father of the family is mentally incapcitated. The daughter still breast feeding her first born was abandoned by her partner. Like so many other families I have met in the occupations, the female is leading the household.

When I left there was an assembly gathering. A relgious one and a political one to boost morale. The camp is scheduled for eviction on May 7. The MTST is trying to reach an agreement to move them out into an area under the control of the mayor of Itapecerica. Whatever happens, these people will add to the continuous flow and growth of this city.

Water: Guarapiranga and Billings Reservoirs

The Environmental Police department of São Paulo, still military police, were kind enough to allow me a helicopter flyover the Guarapiranga and Billings reservoirs. These natural reservoirs in the extreme south of the city, provide 30% of the city's water supply. Many of my friends and long time residents of the city have never actually been to this part of the city. In part due to its poor access and criminal history (The Jardim Angela, was once declared by the UN as the homicide capital of the world, today gravely reduced thanks to community and state work.) However it is one of the lushest and definitely the greenest area of the city. Rivers and waterfalls stream down into the reservoirs for sailing, water skiing, swimming and for the wealthy who own exuberant mansions on the edge of the natural reserve.

The problem has been the uncontrolled urbanization in many parts of the reservoir. Illegal slum constructions have reached the edge of the water. Since most of these constructions have been built by the owner's accord there's never been an appropriate sewage disposal system installed. The state water company, SABESP, works in the area but takes little providence to control the sewage disposal, claiming.. "If the house isn't registered we don't know about it." In part they are right while in others they have been completely negligent to this growing population. In fact the ISA (Instituto Socio Ambiental) has accused SABESP of actually being the largest polluter of the reservoirs.

As per the urbanization, the police informed me of a ridiculous law that impedes them of taking action against illegal settlements. According to the Brazilian constitution, it is illegal to remove someone from their home. The complications arises because the definition of a home is what is not established. A four walled room with a hay roof yet perhaps with a bed and a washing machine can be considered a legitimate home. However the construction of four roomed house next to the one shack for a family of four there lives, can be demolished. Basically it if has a roof, even if illegal built on natural reservation, the police can't remove it without a judicial order, otherwise its habitat dispossession. All requiring more paper work, more bureaucracy and more social problems to the area. The urbanization along these water marshes produces a large number of quick and cheap construction work. The consequences of which create large illegal disposal sites in the area. The picture above is evidence of the problem. Construction companies in the area as well as the resident will dump their waste here creating hundreds of little white litter mountains on the edge of the reservoir. In fact each little mountain can represent the waste of up to three houses.

It took me over an hour to drive down there from the most southern subway station. The entire area is a series of small densely populated neighborhoods with small roads. It's virtually impossible to patrol these areas without more resources. Even when residents have been informed of their illegal settlement and that they will be evicted and their homes demolished, they take little notice and continue. The fact is that this is only one of the many responsibilities the Environmental Police have.

I'm due back on Thursday for some demolitions.

Santos Dumont Occupation a Farse

Last month I blogged that on Sunday March 25, four occupation movements had taken over the abandoned Santos Dumont hotel. Last night one of my sources, an ex-Prestes Maia occupant and ex-member of the MSTC told me it was an arranged occupation. The four socialist movements involved reached an agreement with the owner to squat the building as long as the cleaned it out of the junkies already squatting and took care of painting and cleaning out the infrastructure. This would explain why the police did not interrupt the occupation when they arrived at the time of the break in. It would further explain why the local newspapers were unable to contact the owner.

It's worth noting that I have received word from some of the residents in the Prestes Maia, that the MSTC is attempting to lure many of the residents into obtaining the R$1800 being offered by city hall and then attempting to charge them of overdue condominium fee. In essence the movement has obtained housing for them and now wants their money?

Assembly and Sorrow for Samara

I returned to the Prestes Maia that same night for an assembly meeting that would explain to the residents their options for obtaining housing, as described in the previous post. The assembly was led by Jaira, Jo Marina and Yanette an all women team of MSTC leaders. There were a lot less people as you can see.

Yanette made her points and then a series of questions and answers went around. During her presentation she also made note that through the grapevine she's heard of people talking behind her back. Samara, who I photographed last year, was included. In the beginning of February the coordinator on Samara's floor accused her of stealing a bikini, of all things to steal in city! The MSTC leaders searched her shack without warning and in front of her children. Nothing was found. The cocoordinator proceeded to threaten her and accuse her of having sold it already. After the search she returned with Jaira and Jo Marina and physically abused Samara, leaving her with a broken arm.

Days later, under Samara's threat to press charges, Yanette appeared in the building, apologizing and defending Samara. Yanette convinced her not to press charges, alleging it could endanger the negotiations going on at city hall. What I couldn't understand was why now Yanette, with microphone in hand, threatened to punch Samara's teeth out? By the way, the crowd at the assembly cheered on.

All in all it appears to be gossip and jealousy once again taking hold of these people. Samara is good friends with Veronica from the 12th floor. Yanette is dating Veronica's ex. Get the picture?

Samara out of fear for her life and her children, left the building, seek Mauricio her husband at work.

Crackland Is My New Home

On Sunday night, three independent socialist movements occupied the old Santos Dumont hotel in downtown Sao Paulo. The MSTRC (Movimento dos Sem0-Teto da Região Central de São Paulo), the MMRC (Movimento de Moradia da Região Centro) and the MSTC (Movimento Sem-Teto do Centro). The Folha de São Paulo, in their printed version, says nearly 450 families invaded the building while their online version says 400.

I went there Monday night, late. The general assembly had just started. There were barely 200 people there. Perhaps many were out working? It is often the case that the movements overblow the situation to attract media attention and it's more often the case the media don' t bother checking it out. The same situation has been going on in the Prestes Maia 911 for over four years now. Supposedly 468 families have been there since the begining. A tremendous lie fed by both the MSTC and the media. Two hundred and fifty families is more like it.

Anyhow, it was the usual mess. No lights, no water, garbage piles, a burnt out car, food distribution and the heavy speech laid on by the leaders. Fight for your rights to live in a dignified home! Man, the more I look at all this the more political it gets. The movements aren't fighting to get these people homes, they use them for their political means. During the first three years of the occupation in the Prestes Maia, over 80% of the movement living in the building was working for city hall.

This occupation lies smack in the middle of Cracolandia (Crackland) a drug and junkied infested neighborhood. Right across the building is the beautiful Luz train station, completely renovated to its old colonial glory. The city keep promising to renovate the downtown area, but the more buildings get occupied the harder it gets. The people take these buildings because they have somethig solid to hold onto in the downtown area. Something that in one way or another belongs to them, even if its temporary. They know their lives are temporary and could end any second.

Some one hundred crack heads tried to become part of the occupation. They were all refused entry. No drugs and no alcohol is the norm. I have to go back and check it all out again. It's a weird place. It reminds me of the Carandiru prison. It too has a central patio, surrounded by the former hotel rooms, now someone's apartment and home.