Ponto Novo is a town located in the north of the Brazilian state of Bahia and within the Sertão ecosystem. This biome, close to the desert, casts between December/January and July between 300 and 500 mm a year; between 2008 and 2013 there was a lot of drought. In these times they sow, always looking at the sky, to see if they wet enough to be born. They mainly cultivate cassava, allubia and corn; rearing cows, and especially goats, with fruit trees of the area: umbua, anarchism, licuria...

When there is a lack of water, water is the axis of life: the struggle of movements, the nature of state projects, the clash with agro-business -- all around water. In recent years, Ponto Novo has become a reflection of this struggle. The State of Bahia launched a irrigation plan from the year 2000, which included the right in the government and a project linked to a reservoir. Hectares and lots of water for monoculture. Although some land was distributed to medium-sized producers, the majority remained in the hands of a company: Producer Site Barriers. Of the land where the company was set up, 450 small farmers were thrown.

First occupations

In 2008, Movimento dos Pequenhos Existences (MPA) occupied land that was within the irrigation polygon. Thirty families entered and built their homes first with straw, then with adobe. Taking advantage of the channel that was going through there, they began to produce collectively. They claimed the existence of a space for small farmers inside the polygon, where they wanted to live and produce. Terra Nossa was born.

It was a time of struggle, they occupied Siege Barriers on several occasions, they cut off the road, took refuge against the venom they were throwing in airplane. The library was also built, drinking water was obtained... but in 2011 they were expelled. By then, the State of Bahia and the polygon project were in the hands of the Dos Trabalhadores Party (PT), but the negotiations did not succeed. Also for the PT, the irrigation polygon had to be for agronegation: the workers' party promoted an area of monocultures and poisons.

Even though their houses and collective spaces were destroyed, the families did not surrender and, with all their troubles, went to an empty pavilion inside the polygon. The following years have passed there, until 2018 thirty families have lived together.

This struggle was not useless: after ten years of deprivation, the State of Bahia on the one hand and INCRA on the other, the National Institute of Colonização e Reforma Agraria, valued their claim. Once the soil has been achieved, the next challenge is to get the houses, and there are still other shocks, such as production aid.

Alliances in the new times

Aware of land grabbing, the MST (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem Terra) created in another part of the polygon the area called Mandela, destined for popular movements and the unearthed. Today they have managed to build the houses Terra Nossan, each family has six hectares outside the polygon and five within it, with a rainwater collection system in all the houses. Mandela, on the other hand, is entirely within the polygon and is still in the process of demarcation of land, although the agrovila or farm to be created is quite structured.

But the struggle continues. In 2017 the reservoir ran out of water and the company Sitio Barrera left its site, picked up things and left. Taking advantage of this situation, MST and MPA joined forces and decided to occupy the company’s headquarters. At the moment, the camp has been lifted in that place, under the coordination of both movements. The new space has been baptized with the name of União and has 30 other families – which have already begun to produce, after negotiating with the state. We are also talking to the farmers in the area, because there is enough land to allow more families to go, to feed more people. This year they hope to be able to buy land and start building houses shortly, but it is not yet clear what is going to happen.

Water for all

The State of Bahia is investing in the irrigation polygon and intends to link two reservoirs through a canal to prevent them from running out of water again. Although this canal passes through Terra Nossa and other communities, it is not planned that these neighbours have access to the water network, nor do they have guaranteed water for production. Within Terra Nossa they have organized a “water camp”. They have been there for six months, and they tell him that the canal will not pass until they are guaranteed access to water for all.

Therefore, the MPA and the MST have made Ponto Novo a reference in defense of the right to water: they have questioned the logic of the irrigation polygon, have pushed the PT government to negotiate, sixty families have achieved land, another thirty are on their way and soon they and other peasant communities will have water in their homes.

Doubts about land reform with Bolsonaro

Brazilian legislation establishes that the land must fulfill its social objective. Therefore, when a land is uncultivated or local production harms the environment, it can “ask” for land reform. That has been the strategy that MST and other pro-divisionary movements have carried out over the past 35 years. Occupy the Earth, tell INCRA that it does not meet any social objective and force it to separate it. These lands are sometimes public and other private, in the second case INCRA buys land before distribution.

With the PT governments, land reform was slower than with right-wing governments, less land was distributed and fewer families got land. However, the process continued and the living conditions of families who achieved land through land reform improved: housing programs, water supply, electric power, productive projects, study aids...
Bolsonaro made it clear in his campaign that MST is going to be one of the main enemies. For its part, the homeless movement MTST (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Sem Teto) calls for urban reform and occupation in urban spaces. The new US President has said that he will try to make these movements "terrorists" rather than "terrorists". And the first serious aggression has already taken place.

In the early days of Bolsonaro, the government decided to paralyse INCRA and to review the processes of the last ten years. Thus, the situation of the thousands of families occupying the land has deteriorated, as land cannot be accessed while INCRA is paralysed and the risk of expulsion is increasing. In addition, the fortunate people who have acquired land over the past ten years may also have problems.

But a small window is open. INCRA is an institution held by the federal government. States have the power to take decisions in their territory, since the irrigated area of Ponto Novo is located in the territory of the State of Bahia, the negotiations are with Baia and not with Brasilia.