Number 183, June 15, 1995

CHILDREN'S ISSUES

- 92.8% of children killed in Sao Paulo are not delinquents

On June 10 the Folha de Sao Paulo and the Diario Popular published the results of a survey carried out by the Attorney General's Office of the state of Sao Paulo in conjunction with UNICEF.

Only 7.17% of the 622 cases studied, of children who were assassinated in 1991, were found to have broken the law in any way. The survey was concluded last month. It shows that four out of every ten children and adolescents who meet with violent death in the city are victims of homicide. Assassinations represent 42.43% of violent deaths - which also include accidents. According to Myriam Mesquita, the sociologist in charge of the survey, the most important thing that the survey accomplished was to prove that "contrary to what most people believe, the great majority of children who are victims of homicides (92.83%), are not delinquents". She also stated that there was no proof of any official extermination policy. The survey showed that 49.51% of the children murdered and identified in law suits had a fixed job and that 17.92% attended school. 3.91% were under five years of age. The majority were boys between the ages of 15 and 17, black or mulato and lived with their families in the poorer areas of the city at a fixed address.

In the city of Sao Paulo, the region of Santo Amaro, on the south side, has the most violence (26.38%). Other figures show that 45.6% of the victims are taken to a hospital, 39.9% are found on public thoroughfares and 9.12% are abandoned in vacant lots, rivers or on the side of the road. In 45.52% of cases, the context of the homicide is not known. 25.48% are killed by the Military Police and 20.67% by others. Colonel Roberto Lemes, Chief of Social Communications for the Military Police, says that "as the MP is responsible for law and order, it is natural that it be involved in the accusations".

INDIGENOUS ISSUES

CIMI Newsletter n. 162

BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT RECOGNIZES SLAVE LABOR

The Brazilian Government will set up, in June, an executive group

to fight slave labor in Brazil. The decision, announced late in May by

the minister of Labor Paulo Paiva, at a public audience promoted by

the Commissions of Minorities, Labor, Agriculture, and Human Rights of

the Chamber of Deputies, shows that the government has finally

surrendered to the evidence of the existence of this kind of labor in

Brazil. A report issued by the Land Pastoral Commission (CPT) called

"Land Conflicts in 1994" (see News from Brazil #180) points out the

growth of slave labor in Brazil, including the exploitation of Indian

labor. This kind of crime, which was being constantly denounced by social

movements and leftist parties, used to be officially regarded as an

exaggeration of the actual situation. It was the society, however,

that once again took concrete steps against such practice: through

the National Forum Against Violence, it is launching the National

Campaign against slave labor.

For over three years, CIMI has been denouncing the use of Indian

slave labor. According to the entity, the sugarcane industry in Mato

Grosso at one point relied on the slave and semislave labor of seven

thousand Indians belonging to the Guarani Kaoiwa, Terena, and Guarani

Nhandeva peoples. Among them there were children who earned salaries

corresponding to 50-60% of those received by the adults. In 1993,

repeated denunciations from CPT and CIMI led that state to set up a

Permanent Commission for Investigating and Inspecting Labor Conditions

in Charcoal Kilns and Distilleries in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul,

which is made up of 11 state secretariats and agencies, 16

nongovernment organizations and also CPT, CIMI and the State

Commission for the Defense of Human Rights.

The inspection carried out in plants and charcoal kilns has become

more intense and, as a result, two police investigations have been

opened. In spite of all this effort, labor relations remain below

human standards. The Indians are fighting for labor rights, earn

terribly low salaries in relation to the rest of the country and, in

most cases, work under unsafe conditions. Because they are paid

according to their production, they work over 12 hours a day without

any break for lunch. Social movements expect the executive group to do

more than simply recognize that the crime actually exists.

Brasilia, June 8th, 1995

LAND ISSUES

- Increase of violence in rural areas

Recently, the Commission of the Land Pastoral (CPT) issued a

report, "Conflicts in Rural Areas - Brazil 94", a picture of

violence in the rural areas, assassinations, death threats,

evictions and slave labor.

The facts mentioned in this report show an increase in

violence in the rural areas. In the past year, 485 cases occurred.

Of this number 379 were land conflicts, 28 dealt with slave

labor, involving 25,193 persons and 78 had to do with labor

questions. 74 persons, both farmers and rural labor leaders were

assassinated. In these conflicts, 1,919,963 hectares were disputed by 237,501 persons and there was an increase in killings (62), and in death threats (212).

The regions of the country with the most conflicts were the

Northeast followed by the North. The states with the most

conflicts were Bahia, Tocantins, Para and Maranhao. Since the

1980s slave labor has increased most notably in the state of Mato

Grosso do Sul, especially in those areas in which charcoal is

produced.

EDUCATION

- Report card on Brazilian education.

- More than 1/3 of the Brazilian population is functionally

illiterate.

- Only 39% of Brazilian children conclude 5th grade. 56% of the

students do not complete elementary school.

- A 1994 document of the Education Ministry says that in some

states in the northeast of Brazil, $16.20 per year is spent to

educate a student. Antonia Soares, a teacher in Parambu, Ceara

receives a monthly salary of $14.40 for a 40 hour work week.

- More than 50% of Brazilian students repeat their first school

year and 36% of students repeat 2nd grade. This statistic

continues through high school.

- Of every 100 students registered, at least 15 leave school,

usually to financially help the family.

- There are approximately 4.5 million children between the ages

of 7-14 who do not attend school.

- The average school day for students in Brazil is 4 hours per

day. Books and school supplies are prohibitively expensive for

most Brazilians.

RURAL ISSUES

-- Government awards rural representatives for vote against

monopolies.

An accord between the rural representatives and the

government went into effect. The government agreed to renegotiate

the financial debts of large land owners for their favorable

votes for the ammendments that would do away with the state

monopolies of telecomunications and petroleum. The

representatives of the Congressional Agrarian Nucleus distributed

a note highlighting the government's establishing criteria highly

favorable to large land owners and prejudicial to rural workers

and small land owners.

To equalize the conditions and financial taxes of the small

and large producers at 16% a year, for the present harvest the

government increased the financial tax of the small and medium

rural farmers to 400%, while the large land owners were awarded

with reductions that are equivalent to subsidies on the order of

60% their debts.

INDIGENOUS ISSUES

CIMI Newsletter n. 163

BRAZILIAN GOVERNMENT WANTS TO REVIEW ALL

DEMARCATIONS OF INDIAN LANDS

The campaign launched by anti-Indian groups proposing amendments

to Decree 22/91, which provides for the procedure to be adopted for

the demarcation of Indian lands in Brazil, has become stronger.

Through repeated articles and generous spaces in the national press,

the Brazilian government has been announcing changes in the decree

through the minister of Justice, Nelson Jobim. According to the

proposal, the demarcation of all Indian areas which have not been

registered so far may be reviewed and the adversary system adopted,

allowing invaders of Indian lands to have a say in the definition of

the bounds of those areas. The climate is tense in Indian areas. In

some regions of the country, pressures and demonstrations against

Indian peoples are emerging. Recently detected invasions of Indian

lands in the states of Para, Maranhao and Rondonia may have been

caused by the proposal to amend Decree 22/91. Because of these

facts, Capoib (Council for the Articulation of Indian Peoples and

Organizations of Brazil) and Cimi have stepped up a campaign to

mobilize the population against the proposed amendments to the

above-mentioned decree.

Since the days of the military dictatorship, when the Charter of

the Indians was promulgated, there have been constant reactions

against the demarcation of Indian lands. Now, however, anti-Indian

groups have a powerful ally, namely, the minister of Justice himself,

Mr. Nelson Jobim. When he was a federal deputy, Jobim, as a lawyer,

submitted an opinion to the state of Para arguing that the decree was

unconstitutional. Although he was unanimously defeated at the level of

the Supreme Federal Court on that occasion, he is now, as minister of

Justice, trying to further the same arguments, which might be

considered an unethical attitude in relation to his post, since the

proposal can benefit an ex-client of his and all the invaders of

Indian lands.

According to the Brazilian Constitution, the Union must

compulsorily demarcate all Indian lands, whose bounds are to be

defined through administrative decrees issued by the minister of

Justice. Any complaints against acts of the Union in this regard are

to be judged by the courts, as on many occasions in the past and

present. What is behind this maneuver is the same old attempt to

reduce the size of Indian areas. By changing Decree 22/91, the

Brazilian government is actually trying to switch roles, turning

Indians into invaders of their own lands. By doing this, it is

disregarding the original rights of Indians to lands traditionally

occupied by them and about to waste milions of dollars spent with

demarcations (including with international campaigns), in addition to

jeopardizing rights ensured in the Constitution of 1988 after a fierce

struggle.

Brasilia, June 14th, 1995

CHURCHES

- Church wants to "announce and promote dignity"

During the Catholic bishops' conference in Itaici in

May, a "Message on the situation of the country" was

published which expressed the vote of confidence the bishops

have given to the way the new government is dealing with the

serious economic problems in the country. However, it

mentions that there are already doubts and apprehensions

amongst the people, who cannot yet see a better future

guaranteed, especially for the millions of poor and excluded

from society. The bishops say that it is not up to the

Church to offer technical solutions to the country's

problems, but they must proclaim and promote equal dignity

for all and every one of its citizens, social justice and the

need for solidarity amongst all persons, especially with the

poor. Last but not least, the ethical demands of politics in

general and especially in the exercise of public authority.

The bishops also point out that "The fight against

inflation and the new system of currency are both very

positive facts. However, as we closely follow the

government's iniciatives in the economic area, we are

concerned that the country not be led along the road of pure

market logic as though this alone were capable of solving our

economic and social problems. Development should be

economically just and in solidarity, keeping in mind the

environment and allowing the participation of all of us in

political and social processes". The bishops mention land

reform, the situation of pensioners and the minimum salary,

and the reform of the judicial system as important points

which require the attention of the federal government. "We

share in the pain and anguish of the people as well as in

their hope and joy. Confident in divine grace, we shall

continue the mission of Jesus, joining together in the

struggle for life".

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