Há mais de dez anos comunidades vivem clima de tensão e violência na região - Banco de Dados AND
Rural workers from Gleba Campina, in the town of Junco, about 260 km away from Maranhão’s capital city, have set up a People's Trial to judge land grabbing crimes in the region
which will take place between March 9 and 10
is a political action that demands justice and attention to criminal actions
Five people have already been killed while fighting for the right to land and denouncing the long list of threats and violent acts
the region is home to 100 families that occupy about 2,250 hectares of land used as a source of livelihood
in addition to animal raising for more than 20 years
Jorge Moreno, a lawyer at the Land Struggle Solidarity Committee (Comsolute, in Portuguese), organized a trial supported by different organizations
such as the Union of Communities in Struggle and the Student Collective Sons of the People
“This kind of tribunal happened in three places: here in Maranhão state
help and support us ,so that this community here and all the others in Maranhão that are going through difficulties
especially the land grabbing of their territories
can be supported and have the solidarity of our population."
Image highlights peasant improvements destroyed at the behest of land grabbers in the Vilela Community / Comsolute
years after the community’s establishment
farmer Nestor Osvaldo Finger – originally from southern Brazil – presented himself as the owner of the lands and started to claim more than 50,000 hectares
The conflict also involved other communities from that same region
all of them part of the people’s tribunal.
"We have documents from Incra [Brazil’s Institute for Colonization and Agrarian Reform] proving that this was already one of the top 100 biggest cases of land grabbing in Brazil
some land grabbers arrived here in the region of Junco do Maranhão
Carutapera and Amapá [do Maranhão] claiming to own 52,000 hectares of land that they were never able to locate," explains Roniery Machado
over 140 people were killed in rural areas of Maranhão state
Less than 5% of the crimes were solved / Banco de Dados AND
Right on the access road to the area where the event would take place
a banner with the words "Out with land grabbers
in protest at the recurring court rulings in favor of land grabbers in the region
We are the ones who fight and go after food to put on the rich man's table
but the highest authority in the country doesn't see our side
For more than 25 years we've been fighting for this area
Big landowners and agribusiness men have persecuted us and we've never had any support," protested Antônio Mendes
a resident of the Vilela Community.
Organizations from different regions of Brazil are following the case
and some of them participated in the trial
such as the Brazilian Association of People's Lawyers (Abrapo
"These people have suffered a great deal of violence from big landowners
invading (…) That's why we've come from all corners of Brazil to support these people and show that this struggle is not just theirs
but that of all those who fight for people’s rights – and we will win," says Marino D'Icarahy
Firearms found with land grabbers before the beginning of the People's tribunal activities
The guns were found in Junco do Maranhão / Comsolute
On the eve of the tribunal, police operations in the region seized nine guns, vests and ammunition inside a farm. Four people were arrested and accused of being landowners' thugs who threatened rural workers’ families
the Public Prosecutor's Office reports that the leaders are in protective services and points to a conservatism among security forces that benefits the properties of businessmen
"The public forces still don't understand that those living in rural communities are weak
the police set out to protect businessmen's assets
They don't realize that rural workers have been there for many years and have more rights to the land than someone who acquired it God knows how," explains Haroldo Paiva
the prosecutor of the Agrarian Conflicts Court
Among the investigations carried out by the State Public Prosecutor's Office
there is “possessory encroachment” (“esbulho possessório”
in Portuguese) – which means the action of illegally taking possession of property – alteration of boundaries
arbitrary exercise of one's rights and procedural fraud
A peasent shares his testemony with judges during the People's Tribunal / Comsolute
The State Public Prosecutor's Office has guaranteed that land registrations will be blocked while the alleged fraud is investigated
"There is a lawsuit before the courts
The community was the plaintiff in this lawsuit and lost
We've just appealed to the court to see if we can do the proper investigation
where we believe we can prove the actual ownership of these people," says Haroldo
At the end of 2023, Maranhão’s governor Carlos Brandão sanctioned law 12.169, popularly known as the 'Land Grabbing Law'
because it limits the right to the land of traditional communities and favors land grabbing
"The core issue here in Maranhão is land misgovernance
The government doesn't know where their lands are
People have been taking over public lands all these years
without obeying the legal rules," adds prosecutor Haroldo.
is also involved in the case and reports that a lawsuit has been filed on behalf of the rural workers’ families
on behalf of the Maranhão Rural Workers' Federation
A piece of wood with a message threatening the residents / Comsolute
the Maranhão Public Defender's Office said it "reiterates its commitment to protecting the rights of traditional peoples and communities in Maranhão that are immersed in serious agrarian conflicts
adopting all legal measures to ensure the possession and safety of the members of these communities on the lands they traditionally occupy
in a clear expression of its constitutional duty"
Questioned about the allegations of the agency's subservience to land grabbers
probable documentary defects and what measures are being adopted
Incra stated that it "emphasizes its commitment to seeking solutions
based on constant dialogue with social movements and demands related to Agrarian Reform"
We contacted the Maranhão Court of Justice and the family of farmer Nestor Osvaldo Finger
The information collected during the People's Tribunal will be transformed into a report to be sent to the due authorities, demanding justice and safety for the families.
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All original content produced and editorially authored by Brasil de Fato may be reproduced
Prediction: Alencar is getting this fight on short notice but should have enough time where it doesn’t affect her
Alencar is a jiu-jitsu ace who’s a BJJ black belt and has a lot of accomplishments
Like a lot of fighters that come from a BJJ ground game they struggle on the feet and Alencar does
Alencar is an open target on the feet and her wrestling is still green
Luciano has credible takedown defense and is the bigger fighter
Alencar is going to have trouble getting the fight down but if she does she’ll be in full control
Alencar has fought awful competition so Luciano is a big step up in competition
I think the size of Luciano and Alencar not having the proper wrestling technique will hurt Alencar
Luciano has a big advantage on the feet and that’s where I think she will win this fight