Number 67, February 25, 1993.

RURAL QUESTIONS

- Chico Mendes' successor demands federal intervention in the State of Acre.

On Thursday February 18, at a press conference in Sao Paulo's Municipal Camara, the Rubber Workers Union leader Osmarino Amancio Rodrigues called for federal intervention in the State of Acre, accusing the authorities in that state of deliberate negligence in the case of the escape of Chico Mendes' killers, Darli Alves and his son Darci.

Osmarino, Chico Mendes' successor, came to Sao Paulo to protest against the refusal of the authorities in Acre to take measures against the criminals who are killing, threatening and terrorizing leaders of rural workers organizations. He said it was absurd that a criminal like Darli Alves, could just walk out of jail, so as to avoid been brought to trial for another murder in the State of Parana, and then, through his lawyer, negotiate his return within 30 days. He also called for greater solidarity from urban movements for Brazil's urgent land problems.

Osmarino presented a dossier containing copies of death threats he and other leaders in Acre, have received, over the last few months. An examination, made by the Institute of Criminology in Acre, shows that the death threat notes were written by Gentil Alves da Silva, a brother of Darli Alves. Gentil, also accused of participating in the murder of Chico Mendes, has been on the run for the last five years. According to Osmarino, the police have had many opportunities to capture Gentil, but have failed to do so. In 1988, the union leaders discovered Gentil's hiding place, informed the police, but the police did nothing.

Osmarino said he intended to ask the Minister for Justice for permission for the Rubber Tappers Union to help in the search for the killers of Chico Mendes. He said the union leaders were tired of seeing the names of their colleagues on tee-shirts, of campaigns and beautiful funeral masses, all this when their comrades were dead. He remembered that the majority of the 150 murders of rural workers and union leaders over the last 15 years, had been announced beforehand and said that what the rural workers really needed was support and solidarity while they are still alive. The dossier contains a list of 95 names of bishops, priests, lawyers, politicians, rural workers and union leaders who are threatened with death and also a news paper report on how much it costs to have someone killed. Osmarino hopes to visit Brasilia, Rio and Bahia to promote a national campaign against impunity and urge civil entities to support a realistic and viable land reform. He also hopes to have an audience with President Itamar Franco and have talks with the Minister for Justice.

A representative from the Justice and Peace Commission of the Archdiocese of Sao Paulo said, at the press conference, that although he agreed with mobilizing Brazilian society and human rights entities, against impunity, the recent case of the official reports on the massacre in Sao Paulo's Carandiru prison, where 111 defenseless prisoners were slaughtered by the military police, showed the Brazilian authorities total lack of respect for human rights entities in Brazil and strongly urged that international pressure be use to demand that the government take some action.

- The Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlantica) region of Sao Paulo seriously threatened by the construction of four dams.

The following is a letter prepared by various grassroots entities linked to groups combating the construction of four dams in the region of the River Ribeira, State of Sao Paulo as well as the Pastoral Land Commission (CPT) of the Diocese of Registro denouncing the cultural, social and economic damages which would result if the dam construction project be carried through.

"We, representatives of the grassroots movements representing the area threatened by the construction of dams on the River Ribeira de Iguape and of the Pastoral Land Commission of the Diocese of Registro, would like to outline the preoccupation felt by the people who will be affected by the construction of the dams on the River Ribeira de Iguape.

We want development and progress for our region but not at a price paid by those who are the poorest in our municipalities.

With the construction of the dams, the environment, especially that of the Serra do Mar and the Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlantica) will be seriously affected.

The river-side inhabitants (undocumented land owners, small farmers, negro communities which have survived from the time of the quilombos and those who earn their living by fishing) will be forced to leave their lands and lose an ancient culture.

Several archaeological sites will be destroyed and it is possible that some caves will be flooded since the municipality of Iporanga has more than 200 such caves (this is a huge tourist potential in the State of Sao Paulo which is not being exploited).

What causes us greatest sorrow is a campaign of promises which is being presented to our people offering jobs and development but does not point out the damaging consequences of this project. What we are referring to are the statements by the State of Sao Paulo Electricity Company (CESP) which claim that the social and environmental costs will not be large with the construction of the dams.

We are Brazilians and we have rights to our lands. We do not wish to see them flooded. For this reason we are struggling against the construction of dams on the River Ribeira. We know that the policy of the federal and state governments is only in favor of the strong ones in this country when in fact their duty is to defend, help and promote the weak and the poor.

We do not want dams because they do not bring us either progress or development. On the contrary, they would marginalize us. Those who will really profit from such a project are the business persons, politicians and transnational companies.

We want a rational and a human process of development and progress which would not be the wild capitalism which is condemning millions of Brazilians to hunger and death.

We demand that energy policies be seriously evaluated. We ask that an evaluation be made of the real social and environmental costs and that alternative - not destructive and polluting sources of energy, be sought out.

We believe that an urgent land regularization (mapping and registration of land documents) is important for the Valley of the River Ribeira; a real agrarian policy which would give value to the small farmer and the undocumented land owner".

According to the entities who are against the construction of the dams, 4 thousand families would be affected by this project. They are arranging a protest as well as a meeting with the Governor of Sao Paulo for March 12.

The entities involved may be contacted by fax at the following number : (0138) 21 36 44.

- Church group publishes a collection of migrants letters.

A collection of letters from migrants was recently published by the Pastoral Workers Group who work with migrants in the State of Sao Paulo. The book is entitled "May God Bless Those Who Stay and Those Who Leave. Letters from Here and There" (Deus Abencoe Quem Fica e Quem Parte. Cartas de Ca e de La).

The book is composed of letters written by seasonal workers to their families and communities during 1991 and 1992. According to the pastoral workers, the seasonal workers who are employed by the sugar distilleries of Sao Paulo and Mato Grosso live in houses and sheds which have been rented or in lodgings belonging to the distilleries. The living conditions are precarious with bunk beds stacked several rows high. Frequently, as many as 50 people inhabit one small cubicle. The larger lodgings "house" from 100 to 400 workers and are frequently located a long distance from the towns.

CHURCHES

- Lenten campaign deals with housing.

On Wednesday February 24, (Ash Wednesday), the Catholic Church in Brazil launched its lenten campaign. For almost 30 years now, such campaigns focus on a topic which is reflected on and examined in depth in the numerous churches and approximately 100.000 basic ecclesial communities throughout Brazil. Over this period, the campaign has been responsible for consciousness raising on many social issues in Brazil. Extensive material is prepared for the campaign for use in such diverse situations as youth groups, bible groups and schools.

This year the campaign deals with housing and has as its theme "Where do you live?" ("Onde Moras?"). The text which accompanies the campaign states that "there is disequality in every Brazilian city. On one side there is the legalized city, which follows the legal norms, is well planned and equipped. On the other side there is the irregular or clandestine city with precarious and sub-human housing conditions. The quality of life in urban situations is getting worse at an alarming rate".

The text uses statistics to show this deteriorating quality of life in urban situations. At the moment, 77.5% ( or approximately 120 million according to 1991 figures) of the Brazilian population lives in cities. In 1950, the urban population was 18.8 millions. The housing deficiency amounts to approximately 12 million houses in the country; this deficiency affects 60 million people. Of the 4493 municipalities in Brazil only 1% has basic sanitation and according to figures of World Health Organization, 65% of all cases of hospitalization is due to inadequate sanitary conditions.

The statistics quoted for different cities are grim. In the city of Sao Paulo, 30% of the population or 3 million people live in tenements. 9.24% of the population or just over 1 million people lived in shanty towns (favelas). In 1973, 1.09% of the population of the city live in shanty towns. The situation in Rio de Janeiro is similar. In 1950, the population of the city was 2.336.000 and 169.305 people lived in favelas. Figures for 1990, show that the population of the city was 6.200.470 and 962.230 lived in favelas.

At the official opening of the lenten campaign, the president of the Conference of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Brazil (CNBB), Archbishop Luciano Mendes de Almeida, defended a number of steps which would need to be taken to ensure adequate housing for all. Such steps include "laws which would guarantee a just distribution of urban land and laws which would answer the social function of property. As well a policy for the construction of low cost housing is called for, especially for those of lower income and also support for the associations and movements which organize and carry out the construction of low cost houses and support for Municipal Councils of Popular Housing and initiatives in the area of projects where people are involved in the building of their own houses.

- Hunger could provoke a social explosion warns Cardinal Arns.

"It is impossible that hunger in Brazil continue as it is without a social explosion". This statement was made by Cardinal Arns of Sao Paulo on Wednesday February 24 during an interview in the cathedral during the official launching in Sao Paulo of the lenten campaign.

Cardinal Arns observed that the problem of hunger exists on a world scale. However he emphasized that "there is enough food for all" and that the problem is really the unjust distribution of food. Referring to the theme of the lenten campaign which deals with the question of housing, Cardinal Arns stated that the real reason for lack of housing in Brazil is directly linked to the absence of an agrarian reform. "Brazil, from the point of view of land, is the most privileged country in the world but the majority suffer from problems provoked by the lack of land" said the cardinal. He went on to state that with agrarian and urban reforms "there will be more peace in the country and the cities will become less violent".

Regarding the Catholic Church's contribution to the housing question, he announced the beginning of a letter writing campaign to the members of congress which will demand a debate of a law project which has become blocked in congress. The law project was presented by grassroots movements and was accompanied by over a million signatures. Cardinal Arns also announced that the Archdiocese of Sao Paulo is considering the setting up of a special parish to cater for the street dwellers. According to studies carried out by the municipal government, there are almost 600 thousand street dwellers presently in Sao Paulo.

INDIGENOUS QUESTIONS

- State is the principle agent of invasions of indigenous areas.

According to a news report carried by the "Folha de Sao Paulo" on February 21, different government departments and organs are the chief culprits for the invasion of indigenous areas in Brazil. This usually happens in instances such as the construction of dams, the building of roads and railroads and during the construction of power lines. At the moment, 432 of the 510 indigenous areas in the country are suffering from invasion.

According to the "Folha" report, a study carried out recently by the National Foundation of the Indian (Fundacao Nacional do Indio - FUNAI) shows that 220 roads or railroads cut or limit indigenous areas. Their construction also facilitates the invasion of the indigenous areas. The invasion of the Yanomami territory is given as an example. Access by road was made possible by the construction of highway BR 245. This highway, whose construction was started during the government of President Emilio Garrastuzu Medeci (1969 - 1974) was never completed but facilitated greatly the entry of invaders into the Yanomami territory.

The construction of hydro-electric projects has a similar impact on indigenous areas. At the moment, there are 14 hydro-electric stations functioning in such areas; a further 4 stopped the construction work temporarily and a another 103 are planned. The infra-structure prepared for the construction of such projects frequently attracts lumber merchants and gold prospectors.

The Brazilian Constitution demands that all indigenous areas be demarcated by October 1993. However, half of the indigenous areas have not yet been demarcated. Funai calculates that it would need approximately U.S. $100 millions to carry out this work. During 1992 it received a mere U.S. $650 thousand for this task. The financial resources available this year for this project are expected to be in the same region. Demarcation is defended by indigenous entities as an important process in impeding invasion of indigenous areas.

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