The document expresses solidarity with leftist movements in Brazil, namely the Landless Workers' Movement (MST) and the Homeless Workers Movement (MTST), following the election of the extreme right wing Jair Bolsonaro as president. Bolsonaro has described the MST and MTST as 'terrorists' and their activities as 'terrorist', and it is feared he will militarize the state to attack popular leftist movements. The document condemns recent raids against progressive media and universities in Brazil, and pledges full support for the MST, MTST, and other leftist forces in Brazil as they face expected repression under the new government.

1. Solidarity with our Comrades in Brazil
For a number of years our movement has enjoyed close
relationships with various movements in the left in South
America. This has included the Movimento dos Trabalhadores
Sem Terra (MST), known in English as the Landless Workers’
Movement, in Brazil. Many of our comrades have spent a lot of
time with the MST in Brazil.
We have also been pleased to build a relationship with
Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem Teto (MTST), known in
English as the Homeless Workers Movement, also from Brazil.
This year we had the honour of hosting comrades from the
MTST in Durban.
The recent elections in Brazil have been won by the extreme
right. This is a disaster for democracy. Jair Bolsonaro, who will
be the new president, has described organisations like the MST
and the MTST as ‘terrorists’ and land occupations and road
blockades as ‘terrorist activities’. It is clear that the right will
militarise the state and attack the popular movements of the
left, and rule the poor with even more violence. Poor people in
general, and black and gay people in particular, are at serious
risk.
There have already been attacks on progressive media,
progressive spaces in the universities and black and gay
people. Our comrades in Brazil fear that a serious attack on the
left, and in particular the popular movements like the MST and
MTST, is a real and urgent danger.

2.
We condemn the raids that have already been carried out
against progressive forces in the media and the universities
and express our full support for MST, MTST and all other
forces of the left in Brazil that must now confront the reality that
serious repression is inevitable.
We commit ourselves to standing firm in solidarity with our
comrades in Brazil and call on all our comrades in South Africa,
and around the world to do the same, especially organised
membership based formations like popular movements and
trade unions. We are encouraged to see how many of our
comrades around the world are watching the situation in Brazil
and are willing to act in whatever way they can to be in
solidarity with the movements and people of Brazil.