This article analyzes conflicts in Brazil involving landless peasants and the violence that frequently results from their invasion and occupation of privately owned rural land for the period 2000–08. Land ownership in Brazil is overwhelmingly and historically characterized by large, family-owned estates. The unequal and inequitable allocation of land together with weak institutions, weak markets, and low asset endowment may make land reform a low priority. In the absence of effective land reforms, these factors may lead to the occupation of land by the landless poor peasants by violent means. In such an environment, land-related conflicts are common and have been previously analyzed in several studies, with a particular focus on Africa and Latin America.