AGRICULTURE IN BRAZIL AND ITS EFFECT ON DEFORESTATION AND THE LANDLESS MOVEMENT: A GOVERNMENT'S ATTEMPT TO BALANCE AGRICULTURAL SUCCESS AND SOCIAL COLLATERAL DAMAGE

摘要

Shortly after his inauguration in 2003, Brazil's first left-leaning president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva ("Lula") stood before hundreds of thousands of international social activists at the World Social Forum in Southern Brazil. He stood tall and proud and pledged to "take on the capitalist world order and strive to end hunger in poor countries."2 The former labor leader and leftist firebrand stood like a champion as the environmentalists, human-rights advocates, urban workers, and rural poor chantedhis name, for they believed the newly elected president would finally put their causes high on Brazil's agenda.3 Two years later on the same stage at the same forum Lula stood in front of activists from around the world.4 This time, however, the cheersfrom many left-wing activists were replaced by jeers as the presidential old hand addressed the crowd.5 His message was the same, but his superhero status had diminished among the Brazilian and world social community.