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THREAD- Who was Margarida Maria Alves, the woman that gives the name of the “Margarida’s March” a demonstration held since 2000 by women rural workers from Brazil: 
Margarida Maria Alves was born in Alagoa Grande (PB), on August 5, 1933. In 1973 she was elected president of the rural workers union of Alagoa Grande, was one of the leaders of the fight over basic rights of these workers.
During her time as president of the union, the activist was responsible for more than 100 labor lawsuits in the local labor court. However, her work in the union clashed with the interests of the owner of the largest local sugar mill (Usina Tanques).
In her speech during the commemoration of Labor Day in 1983, Margarida denounced that she had been receiving death threats and said her most famous phrase: "It is better to die fighting than to starve."
Three months later she was murdered. The main suspects for the unionist's death are Agnaldo Veloso Borges, then owner of the sugar mill, and his son-in-law, José Buarque de Gusmão Neto, better known as Zito Buarque.
The union leader has become a symbol of resistance and fight against violence in the countryside, for the agrarian reform cause and wanted to put an end to the exploitation of rural work. When Margarida was murdered, 72 labor lawsuits were being filed against local farmers.
30 years after and still none accused of the unionist's death were convicted, although the crime has had an international repercussion.
Margarida Maria Alves was one of the first women to hold a position of union leadership in the country and was a great defender of human rights in #Brazil.
