Abstract: This text intends to analyze a specific mobilization for land possession at Vale do Rio Doce (state of Minas Gerais, Brazil) during the 1980s, by pointing out to important singularities about land reform militancy in that context. It was a collective action of rural workers mediated by a long process involving courses, meetings, and other activities organized and/or legitimized by agents linked to the Catholic Church. This research relies on the analysis of interviews guided by an oral history approach as well as the scrutiny of ecclesiastical and individual documents. As a result, it is noticeable that such group was successful in obtaining land tenure with actions based on a medley of political and religious conceptions.
Keywords:
Agrarian Reform; Social Movements; Catholic Church