Number 4. November 14, 1991

INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

- Yanomami Territory: The President, Fernando Collor de Mello postponed his decision about the setting up of a territory for the Yanomami. Collor had announced that he would make this decision on October 29. However, on that date, he signed 71 documents regularizing other indigenous areas but not including that of the Yanomami. According to the Commission for the Creation of the Yanamomi Park (Comissao pela Criacao do Parque Yanomami - CCPY), the postponment occurred because of pressure from the military ministers in the government. The military ministers believe that the creation of a continuous area of 94.000 square kms for the Yanomami along Brazil's boarder with Venezuela, could put the national sovereignty in risk. CCPY believes that there is a further motive for the postponment of the creation of the Yanomami area. This motive is political and involves the federal government's plans for the economic development of Roraima. Coincidence or not, the government commission which is studying plans for the economic development of Roraima in particular and for the Amazon region in general, had its work sessions postponed also on October 29 and has no set date for the conclusion of its work. Letters and telegrams of support for the CCPY can be sent to : Rua Manoel da Nobrega 111, Conjunto 32, 04001 Sao Paulo, SP.

- The 500 years celebration: Since the Second Continental Meeting of the 500 Years' Campaign of the Resistence of the Indigenous People, the Negro and Grass-Roots Groups (Segundo Encontro Continental da Campanha 500 Anos de Resistencia Indigena, Negra e Popular) which took place in Guatemala between October 07 and 12, the National Brazilian Committee of the Campaign (Comite Nacional Brasileiro da Campanha) has begun planning for 1992. The participants in the Second Continental Meeting approved the following proposals : " To put into practice our opposition to the celebration of the 5th. centenary, presenting alternative proposals which are in agreement with the interests of our people. To concretize the solidarity of grass-roots groups with the struggle of the indigenous peoples. To develop during 1992, various activities at national levels and which will be coordinated at continental level". In the next meeting of the Comite Nacional Brasileiro da Campanha 500 Anos de Resistencia Indigena, Negra e Popular which will take place on November 20 at 9.00 AM at Rua Ministro Godoy 1484, Sao Paulo, these proposals will be concretized for Brazil. It is very important that entities and groups from other countries offer support and solidarity for this continental campaign. Contact address: Campanha 500 Anos de Resistencia Indigena, Negra e Popular, Rua Ministro Godoy 1484, 05015 Sao Paulo, SP.

STREET CHILDREN

- Belo Horizonte, State of Minas Gerais: Region East 2 of the National Movement of Human Rights (Movimento Nacional dos Direitos Humanos- MNDH/Leste 2) signed a statement protesting against the judge of Infancy and Youth (Juiz da Infancia e Juventitude) Danilo Alves da Costa and presented it to the Justice Tribunal of the State of Minas Gerais. Approximately 138 people representing 220 entities in the State of Minas Gerais signed the document. As an excuse, the judge used the fact that people had been assaulted and had their hair cut in the streets of the state capital - Belo Horizonte, to authorize the imprisonment of more than 500 children including some who were on their way home from school and others from a recreational centre run by the municipality. MNDH/Leste 2 asks that messages of protest be sent to: Corregedor Geral da Justica, Av. Augusto de Lima 1549, 4 Andar, 30.190 Belo Horizonte, M.G.

LAND CONFLICTS

- The Land Pastoral Commission (Comissao Pastoral da Terra - CPT) of the State of Tocantins published a press release on November 07 in which three bishops from the state - Bishop Jaime Collins of Miracema do Tocantins, Bishop Heriberto Hermes of Cristalandia and Bishop Celso Pereira de Almeida of Porto Nacional denounced the situation of the people in the State of Tocantins. In the press release, which was also presented to the state governor Moises Avelino in a meeting he had with the bishops on November 07, the bishops denounce the situation of hunger and misery to which thousands of families in the state are reduced. According to the press release, these families suffer from the lack of land, the lack of work and the lack of means of survival.

According to the bishops " this violent and desperate situation has led hundreds of families to seek a piece of land as the only possible solution to continue to survive". During 1991, more than ten areas were occupied in the State of Tocantins by over 400 families. Along with these areas, in the state there are more than 40 areas where conflicts has been happening for some time; in these latter areas more than 2000 families have been awaiting a solution for a considerable time.

During 1991, rural workers were expelled from 6 areas; 86 families from the Santarem Ranch in Babaculandia, 53 families from the Santa Maria Ranch in Arapoema, 15 families from the Bandeirantes Ranch and 40 families from the Cajazeiras ranch, both in Araguacu and 16 families from the Jacubinha Ranch in Natividade. Regarding the expulsion carried out on October 25 last on the Bandeirantes Ranch, a letter written by the expelled families stated " the police dragged the children by the legs, throwing them from one side to the other and so flung them cowardly on the ground ".

The bishops question the legality of these expulsions and ask "without work in the city, without a place to stay in the countryside, where can so many families suffering violence, hunger, and expulsion go to, to seek another alternative in life?". At the end of the press release, the bishops remember the words of Pope John Paul 11 in Sao Luiz, State of Maranhao - " The high level of concentration of land demands an agrarian reform". CPT of the State of Tocantins will supply full details of land conflicts in that state to those interested. To acquire this information, contact the CPT by phone ((062) 225-4967) or by fax ((062) 224-4436). The address of the CPT is Avenida Parana 1027, Caixa Postal 134, 77.400 Gurupi, Estado do Tocantins; phone and fax (063) 851-2570. Letters of support may be sent to the bishops at the following addresses: Dom Jaime Collins, Rua Sete de Setembro 102, Centro, 77.560 Miracema do Norte, Estado do Tocantins and Dom Heriberto Hermes, Av Salgado Filho s/n, Caixa Postal 5, 77.480 Cristalandia, TO., phone(062)854-1308.

- Assassination of a farmer in the State of Maranhao: Farmer, Francisco de Assis Ferreira was killed by two bullets in the village of Peritoro, State of Maranhao by gun-men contracted by rancher Jonas da Cruz and by Natal Jose de Souza.

The crime occurred at 11.30AM on November 04 when Francisco de Assis was returning from the fields with a another farmer known as Pretinho who also received a bullet wound in the arm. Even though he was wounded, Pretinho helped to carry the victim to his house helped by another farmer known as Riba who had heard the shots and ran to the place. Meanwhile, the assassins hid themselves in the forest.

For the Maranhao Society of Human Rights (Sociedade Maranhense de Direitos Humanos - SMDH) who are involved in the legal defense of the farmers "this is one more death which could have been avoided if the authorities had taken seriously the complaints made since August 1989". In 1989, along with prohibiting fishing and the harvesting of palm trees (babacu), the rancher, Jonas da Cruz Rocha threatened to rape the wives and daughters of the farmers; he also expelled various rural families from their lands. Recently 10 houses were burned and the farmers were forbidden to use access roads which were blocked by gun-men.

This conflict has been getting more critical since July 1991 when the rancher requested reinstatement of tenure. This request was refused by the judge of Codo, State of Maranhao, Joao Batista Lopes da Silva because of insufficiency of proof of right to tenure. In fact, the entire area where 300 families live today was donated to slaves in 1901 and occupied by Jonas' father in 1949 using gun-men.

The case was brought to the attention of the State Legislature on October 24 by SMDH lawyers. On this occasion, the lawyers also informed the State Secretary of Security - Agostinho Noleto, about the situation. Until now, SMDH has received no response from the State Secretary. Please send messages requesting the imprisionment of Jonas da Cruz Rocha to: Dr. Agostinho Noletto, Secretaria de Seguranca Publica do Estado do Maranhao, Rua da Palma 247, Centro, 65.000 Sao Luis, Estado de Maranhao and also to the State Governor Edson Lobao at the following address; Governador do Estado do Maranhao, Palacio dos Leoes, Av Pedro 2 s/n, 65.000 Sao Luis, Estado do Maranhao.

- Campment on the Santa Clara Ranch, Pontal do Paranapanema, State of Sao Paulo: The Movement of Rural Landless Workers (Movimento dos Trabalhadores Rurais Sem Terra - MST) distributed a press release on November 11 requesting solidarity for the families in the campment of the Santa Clara Ranch. Some months ago, 600 families occupied this ranch which belongs to the State of Sao Paulo. However, as is also the case of other ranches in the same region, Santa Clara was taken over by local ranchers.

The ranch had been totally unproductive. To avoid conflict with the police, the landless rural workers camped in an area alongside the ranch. This latter area belongs to the Sao Paulo Railways. Recently, the landless rural workers started the cultivation of the area. With the help of local groups they managed to get tractors and tilled approximately 3.000 acres. The judge of the town of Teodoro Sampaio having suffered pressure from local ranchers, wants to impede the continuation of this tillage. For this reason, the MST request that all entities who support agrarian reform send a fax or telegram to the Governor of the State of Sao Paulo - Luis Antonio Fleury Filho demanding (i) the right to work for the 600 families who have occupied the Santa Clara ranch (ii) that the military police not be allowed to intervene (iii) that steps be taken for a final solution to the Santa Clara ranch case and to those of other such areas in the region which are owned by the state. The address of the Governor is: Palacio dos Bandeirantes, 01.000 Sao Paulo. Telex (11) 81.125 and fax (011) 843-9271.

- Communication channels gave little attention to the first meeting of the widows of rural workers and sindicate leaders who were assassinated in the State of Para; this meeting took place in Setember. So that other groups may show their support for this widows' movement we include here the letter which they published at the meeting:

"We, the widows of rural workers and sindicate leaders assassinated in the State of Para had our first meeting in Xinguara, State of Para on September 20, 21 and 22, 1991. The purpose of this meeting was that we might organize ourselves to struggle and seek justice for our rights; justice which does not exist in our country. For this reason we decided to form this movement. We wish that all widows unite themselves in this struggle. Our husbands were assassinated by powerful ranchers who deny to the poor the right to work and to live with dignity; they buy off the law, they organize gun-men to kill and all this with the support of the authorities. Today we are facing necessity with our children, without help, without pensions, abandoned. And we see the gun-men and those who ordered the crimes free and continuing to practice their crimes and even persecuting us with threats. Until this point in time, no case which went to justice has been concluded.

We wish to protest the freeing of Jeronimo Alves Amorim who ordered the assassination of Expedito Ribeiro de Souza. This very act, shows once again, that the ranchers are favored by the system of justice.

It is for this reason, that we widows, are organizing ourselves into a movement , as a means to demand from the authorities true justice , the respect of our rights and that the land be freed for the workers so that the hunger in Brazil can be abolished.

We appeal to all who are sensitive to help this shout for justice so that we can live in a better world, without violence, in the countryside or in the city. We believe that the blood of our dear husbands, together with the blood of Christ who also was assassinated, calls for justice. Together let us continue to take on the struggle of our husbands.

Xinguara, State of Para, September 22, 1991."

Messages of support should be sent to : Movimento das Viuvas dos Lavradores, Vitimas da Violencia no Campo, Caixa Postal 21, 68.540 Conceicao do Araguaia, Estado do Para. Phone (091) 421-1698, Fax (091) 421-1586.

THE VOICE OF THE GRASS-ROOTS GROUPS

In this section we open a more extensive space for Brazilian grass-roots groups to communicate with an international audience, outlining their problems, organization and struggle and requesting solidarity and support.

Servico Espiritano de Justica e Paz has received extensive documentary material from the Movimento dos Ameacados por Barragems - MOAB (The Movement of People Threatened by Dams) relating to the possible construction of 4 hydroeletric dams on the river Ribeira de Iguape in the States of Parana and Sao Paulo, Brazil. This river valley contains approximately 25 per cent of what remains of the Mata Atlantica (the original tropical coastal forest of Brazil). In the material received, the possible construction of such dams is classified as an ecological crime of huge proportions and as also an equally serious crime against the historical and cultural patrimony of the region. What follows is a summary of the material received.

Background

The River Ribeira runs for a distance of 455kms. from its source in the State of Parana to its entry point into the Atlantic near Iguape, State of Sao Paulo; most of its course is within the latter state. The section of the valley in the State of Sao Paulo is home to approximately 250.000 people; 80% of the area is a forest reserve. It is an area richly endowed in historical, cultural and ecological riches.

Within the area likely to be flooded by the construction of the dams are situated two areas ecologically protected by federal law - Parque Estadual Turistico do Alto Ribeira and Parque Estadual de Jacupiranga. A significant amount of this unique area of the Mata Atlantica will thus be flooded by the project. In this same area due to be flooded the following natural, cultural and historical monuments are to be found - 25 known archaeological sites comprising pre-historic fluvial kitchen-middens and sites where stone implements and pottery were produced; these sites have not yet been excavated or adequately studied. The region has at least 290 large caves many of which have not yet been explored; many of these will be covered by the waters of the dams. A number of important historical monuments will also disappear under the waters. Such monuments include a part of the historic town of Iporanga and the church in Ivaporunduva, municipality of Eldorado, State of Sao Paulo; this church was built by slaves and dates from the early days of the colonization of Brazil.

Without doubt, the greatest loss will be the disappearance of numerous quilombos (communities of descendants of escaped slaves). Such communities as Sao Pedro, Ivaporunduva and Nhunguara have become nationally known in Brazil for their organization and for the preservation of their cultural characteristics. If such communities were to disappear under the waters of the dams, the Brazilian Federal Constitution would be seriously flouted. This Constitution, in articles 68 and 216 preserves and defends such quilombos. Unfortunately, the weaker as usual will pay the bulk of the costs. An estimated 85 per cent of the population who will be forced to move are negroes; as in other similiar projects in Brazil such people forced to move will receive a mere fraction of the value of their land in compensation.

Construction of the Dams

Official data is sparce and hard to come by on the project. There is no doubt now that plans are advanced to construct at least 4 ( probably 5) dams on the river Ribeira. These are Tijuco Alto, Itaoca, Funil and Batatal. The first on the list is planned by the Companhia Brasileira de Aluminio (CBA) which belongs to the Votorantim Group of companies. The latter three are planned by the eletrical power company of the State of Sao Paulo - Companhia Energetica de Sao Paulo (CESP). This energy will be used by and large in the production of aliminium.

The local communities have not been consulted about this project. 29 associations and entities from the region, including various rural sindicates signed a document on August 31 last protesting the project. Earlier, the clergy and pastoral agents of the local diocese (Diocese of Registro) signed a similiar document. Perhaps the opposition to the project is best summed up in a letter signed by 42 women from Batatal - a rural community which would suffer significantly by the construction of the dams. This letter was published in the local newspaper - "A Tribuna do Ribera" on December 01, 1990 :-

"We women, from the community of Batatal, Eldorado, are against the construction of the dam at Batatal on the River Ribeira de Iguape. We are against this project because it will force many families to leave their lands. Where will they live? Many women have no husbands and have many children to raise; they work as rural daily workers. If the waters invade the land, where will they work?.

We are against the construction of the dam and we demand that the Government give more attention to the health of the people. Why cannot they build more clinics in the communities and send the medicine and equipment which the people need? Our clinic is empty, without any medicine. Why cannot the government preoccupy itself with the education of the children? Our children have either to travel long distances to school or not study. When the children go to school, they have to cross the river on a raft.

When it rains, it is impossible to cross the river, or they cross risking their lives in a canoe. Why instead of constructing dams, they cannot construct a bridge? We are against the construction of the dam because it will not bring progress to the people. Instead it will bring diseases resulting from the increase of mosquitos, it will destroy the oxygen in the water, thus killing the fish. It wiil cause the people to loose their peace of mind in times of heavy rains.

We are against the construction of the dam, because if it brings progress, who will gain by this progress? Who are the people who will benifit? Who will pay the damages caused by this progress? We are against the construction of the dam and we unite ourselves with the struggle of all the other communities so that we may defend our lives. We are in favor of progress when this progress is preoccupied with the life of the people, guarnteeing our maintainence on the land and bringing to our community medicine, education, a bridge, employment etc. and respecting the right of the people to live on the land where they were born and live today.

We enter this struggle. We will carry on to the end, struggling with those who are threatened by the construction of the dams".

 

An Appeal.

Both the Votorantin Group of Companies and the State Governments of Parana and Sao Paulo are very sensitive to international attention. This is particularly so when an ecology question is involved. For this reason you and your friends can make a SIGNIFICANT contribution by sending protest messages in the language of your choice to the groups involved in the construction of the dams. In your message please mention that you will continue to accompany and draw the attention of others to this question. Messages of support would be appreciated by MOAB; this latter group is very active in organizing opposition to the construction of the dams mentioned in this report. MOAB requests you to send as soon as possible messages of protest to:- (1) Companhia Energetica de Sao Paulo - CESP, Alameda Ministro Rocha de Azevedo 25, 01.410 Sao Paulo, S.P., Brazil. (2) To the Companhia Brasileira de Aluminio who plans to build one of the dams. In the case of this company address your letter to the company chairman at the following address: Praca Ramos de Azevedo 254, 3 Andar, 01037 Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil. (3) Secretario do Meio Ambiente do Estado de Parana, Rua Deputado Mario de Barros S/N, Ed. Caetano Munhoz da Rocha - 2 Andar - Gabinete, 80.530 Curitiba, P.R., Brazil. Copies of these messages and messages of support should be sent to:- MOAB - Movimento dos Ameacados por Barragem no Vale do Ribeira, Caixa Postal 425, 11.900 Registro, S.P., Brazil.

We thank you sincerely for your interest and support.

The reproduction of this material is permitted as long as the source is cited.