BRAZIL: About 200 members of the landless peasant movement, who had invaded a ranch belonging to the family of Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, left the property yesterday, local radio reported.
After leaving the ranch belonging to Mr Cardoso's sons, located in the town of Buritis in central Minas Gerais state, 16 members of the movement were detained.
They had received guarantees from the government that they would be allowed to go free, Radio CBN said.
Administration representative Gersino Jose da Silva Filho had said the Agrarian Development Ministry would sign over 4,800-hectares of land to 80 peasant families today, as the government had promised them two years earlier. The landless group left after some 20 military trucks with 200 soldiers, four ambulances, army and police vehicles arrived at the property.
Members of the landless peasant movement said they had occupied the ranch to draw attention to a lack of progress in resolving problems facing Brazil's landless poor. - (AFP)