On April 17, 1996, nineteen landless peasants of the Brazilian MST were shot dead and hundreds more injured when military police attacked them while protesting the slow pace of land reform.  Almost seven years have passed and as of yet , no one has been imprisoned or sentenced for the massacre. 

In commemoration of the victims of the massacre of Eldorado dos Carajas, and of peasants throughout the world who militantly struggle for land, and who face repression as a result, La Via Campesina (an international network of farmers, peasants, rural women, indigenous groups and fishers), annually celebrates April 17 as the International Day of Farmers' Struggle.

This year, the demands [ EN | FR | ES ] fall into two categories:

• against genetically modified organisms, patents , and terminator seeds , and 
• calling for an end to the repression of farmers' and peasants' movements around the world, with particular calls for support for peasants in Bolivia , France , and Indonesia

In Central, South, and North America, a Continental Campaign Against Genetically Engineered Corn [ES ] will be launched in response to ongoing GE contamination and food dumping by the United States and corporations such as ADM and Cargill . In North America, corn dumping actions will take place outside the Chicago Board of Trade , in front of the Minneapolis Grain Exchange , and at the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange.

There are at least 40 actions around the world:

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