Supporters erupted in cheers as the verdict was read and carried Rainha on their shoulders to a nearby square where thousands of others celebrated this victory. Three years ago at his first trial Rainha was convicted and sentenced to 26 and a half years in prison. Prosecutors said they will appeal the most recent verdict.

Land occupations throughout the country are on the rise along with increased confrontations with the police seeking to remove the landless workers from the farms. In a nation of 167 million people, 3 percent of the population owns 66 percent of Brazil's arable land.

At the 1,500-acre Figueira Ranch, for example, 400 landless peasants have been squatting for several months. Some 650 cops attempted to drive them off with tear gas and by firing rubber bullets. They injured 10 people, including six children. But five days later, the peasants returned, more determined to stand their ground.  
 
 
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