La Vía Campesina
International Operative Secretary
Apartado Postal 3628
Tegucigalpa, Honduras
Tel/Fax +504 232 2198
email:
[email protected]
FIAN
International Secretary
P.O. Box 10 22 43
Tel + 49 6221 65300 30
Fax +49 6221 830545
email: [email protected]
Global Campaign for Agrarian Reform
EMERGENCY NETWORK
0406 ABRA (ARC 0426)
22.08.2004
Brazil: Members of agrarian organizations in the south of Para, Brazil, have been murdered.
Three syndicalists from the syndicate of the rural workers in the township of Rondon do Para, in the
state of Para, have been murdered. They were fighting for the realization of the agrarian reform.
The failure of the authorities to prevent criminal attempts conducted by gunmen commissioned by
landowners against those who fight for the rights to land and also the denial to realize the agrarian
reform, have contributed to this wave of violence in the municipality.
The state authorities cope with the landowners. As a result, they don't take proper measures to stop
the crimes or arrest and judge the responsible for these offences. Besides, a great number of lands
illegally registered by the state was discovered, that should have been directed to the agrarian
reform.
In the light of these murder situations and, as a result, the obvious violation of the human rights, it is
very important to bring pressure to bear on the Brazilian authorities to force them to take urgent
measures in order to respect, protect and guarantee the rights of the Brazilian peasants.
Please send an urgent letter to the Special Secretary for the Social Defense of Para, and a copy to
the judge of court of appeals of the state of Para. Also keep informed the syndicate of the rural
workers of Rondon do Para.
Historical Background
The south and south west of Para is, according to the Comision Pastoral de la Tierra (CPT), the
region in Brazil where violations of the human rights linked to the agrarian reform are the most
important. During the past 30 years, more than 600 rural workers close to the social movements for
the right to land, have been murdered. The absence of punishment is astonishing: until today, only
3 killers have been condemned but none of them went to prison.
In the municipality of Rondon do Para, the appropriation of lands through falsified titles is the main
cause of conflict. Jose Dutra da Costa, the former president of the syndicate of the rural workers
(STR) started to investigate and to denounce, during public meetings, the possible fact that the
titles deed of the property Tulipa Negra, which represent 3000 hectares, were fake. Obviously, if the
documents' falsification was proved, this country estate and many more would be expropriated
without any public compensation.
Because of the denunciations, Jose Dutra da Costa has been assassinated the 21st of November
2000, by a killer commissioned by Jose Decio Barroso Nunes, the landowner. The killer was brought
to the police department by neighbours and is still serving his sentence at Maraba's penitentiary.
The landowner, who asked for the murder, Jose Decio Barroso Nunes has been under arrest for only
13 days before recovering his liberty. The judge of second instance, Otario Maciel took the
decision without consulting the judge in charge of the case.
In September 2002, the main witness of the murder of Jose Dutra da Costa, the syndicalist Magno
Fernandes de Nascimento, has been killed by two gunshots in his head. There are obvious indices
showing that this act was to eliminate witnesses.
In February 2004, Ribamar Francisco dos Santos, a director of the Sindicato dos Trabalhadores
Rurais, was assassinated. He was killed in front of his house by two gunmen. The present leader of
the syndicate is suffering death threats. The indices of the authors of the murders are clear, it’s up to
the police to do the investigation and verify the authors and executors of the crime. Impunity
remains the main cause of the increase of violence against rural workers.
The syndicate of the rural workers totals around 1500 landless families and recently organized 2
camps where 200 families were gathered. The syndicate requested the following countries estates:
Santa Monica, Fe em Deus and Frial. They are part of the signed agreement of April, 04th 2003
between FETAGRI and the STR, signed under the supervision of the INCRA (Instituto de Colonization
y Reforma Agraria) of Maraba. The agreement foresaw the revision of the legality of these
properties' titles within 90 days. Until today nothing was done. No land was given for the agrarian
reform.
The objective of the hotline
The state of Brazil is a state party to the International Convenant on Economical, Social and
Cultural Rights and also of the International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights, took the
engagement and the obligation to respect, protect and fulfil those rights to the people. Under this
international public law obligation, the Brazilian state has to adopt adequate measures to assure
the Brazilian peasants' human rights.
Please write an urgent letter and cordially convince the Brazilian authorities to do everything to
arrest those who threaten and kill syndicalists who are fighting for the agrarian reform in this region
and to realize a thorough agrarian reform in this region in order to guarantee the rural people'
economical, social and cultural rights.
End of the emergency line: XXX
Directions:
Manoel Santino Nascimento Júnior
Special Secretary for the Social
Defense
Av. Nazaré, 871
Cep 66035-170 – Belém – Pa - Brasil
Fax +55 (91) 30843635
Copies to:
Desembargadora
Maria de Nazareth Brabo de
Souza
Rua Tomázia Perdigão, 310
Belém, Pa, Brasil
Cep.: 66015260
Fax: +55 (91) 218-2454
e-mail:
[email protected]
Syndicate for the rural
workers of Rondon
Rua Minas Gerais, 823,
Cep: 68638000 - Rondon do
Pará, Pará, Brasil
Fax: +55 (94) 328 3534
Please inform FIAN about any reaction.
Translation of the letter:
Dear Sir Special Secretary of Social Defense
I received extremely worrying information about the death of three syndicalists from the Sindicato dos
Trabalhadores Rurais (STR) of Rondon do Para. Jose Dutra da Costa has been murdered the 21st of November,
2000 by Wellington de Jesus, a killer hired by the landowner, Decio Jose Barroso Nunes. The killer was caught
by the neighbours who brought him to the police. Even though he was charged with murder and
incarcerated at the penitentiary of Maraba, the landowner Decio Jose Barroso has been under arrest only 13
days before recovering his liberty. Despite the fact that he was accused of commissioning the crime, the
judge Otavio Macial pronounced the releasing of Decio Jose Barroso, this without consulting the judge in
charge of the case. Two years later, September 10th ,2002, a witness of the assassination of Jose Dutra da
Costa, the syndicalist Magno Fernandes do Nacimento, was hit by two bullets in the head. In this case, clear
indices showed that this act was to eliminate witnesses. Two years later, the investigation of the crime was not
concluded.
In February 2004, Ribamar Francisco dos Santos, a director of the Sindicato dos Trabalhadores Rurais, was
assassinated. He was killed in front of his house by two gunmen. Over and beyond these victims, the present
leader of the syndicate as well as many people close to the syndicate and to the victims have received
death threats.
The criminals, including peasants from Rondon who have been accused to have participated in the murders,
for whom four police investigations and a criminal trial have been set, simply disappeared from the police
station and from the court of Rondon do Para.
The state of Brazil, as a state party to the International Convenant on Economical, Social and Cultural Rights
and also of the International Convenant on Civil and Political Rights, took the engagement and the obligation
to respect, protect and fulfil those rights to the people. The systematic and arbitrary violence against the rural
workers in Rondon do Para is opposed to the civil and political rights. The slowness to realize the agrarian
reform delays the realization of the economical and social rights. In the light of the obligations of the Brazilian
state, I vehemently request His Excellence to take the necessary and efficient dispositions to reprimand the
violence against the syndicalists and the rural workers of Pondon do Para, to punish those who have been
found guilty in the cases of assassination and to protect the people who are still threatened with death by
some landowners. Consequently, I demand urgent pressure actions and a collaboration process with the
INCRA for an effective accomplishment, a signing agreement with the STR of Rondon do Para and FETAGRI in
order to anticipate the realization of strong bases for the agrarian reform in this township. I also request a
settlement for landless families. This measure is essential for the realization of the human rights of the landless
rural workers.
I would like to be informed on the concrete measures taken in this direction.
Respectfully,
c.c.: Desembargadora MARIA DE NAZARETH BRABO DE SOUZA
Exelentíssimo Sr. Secretario Especial de Defesa Social
MANOEL SANTINO NASCIMENTO JÚNIOR
Av. Nazaré, 871
CEP 66035-170 – Belém – PA
Excelentíssimo Sr. Secretário Especial de Defesa Social
Recebi informações muito preocupantes sobre a morte de três sindicalistas do Sindicato
dos Trabalhadores Rurais (STR) de Rondon do Pará. José Dutra da Costa foi assassinado
no dia 21.11.2000 pelo pistoleiro Wellington de Jesus, sendo acusado de mandante do
crime, o fazendeiro Décio José Barroso Nunes. O pistoleiro foi entregue por vizinhos à
polícia e encontra-se preso na penitenciária de Marabá. O acusado de ser o mandante
do crime, o fazendeiro Décio José Barroso Nunes, foi preso e permaneceu apenas 13 dias
encarcerado, sendo posto em liberdade por ordem do desembargador Otavio Maciel. O
desembargador tomou essa decisão sem sequer solicitar informações à juíza do caso. No
dia 10.09.02, a testemunha do assassinato de José Dutra da Costa, o sindicalista Magno
Fernandes do Nascimento foi assassinado com dois tiros na cabeça. Neste caso, existem
claros indícios de que houve “queima de arquivo”. Dois anos se passaram e o inquérito
que apura o crime não foi ainda concluído. Em fevereiro de 2004 foi assassinado mais um
diretor do Sindicato dos Trabalhadores Rurais, o sindicalista Ribamar Francisco dos Santos.
Ribamar foi morto em frente a sua casa por dois pistoleiros. Além dessas vítimas, a atual
presidente do sindicato bem como outras pessoas ligadas ao Sindicato e às pessoas
assassinadas vem sofrendo frenqüentes ameaças de morte. Acrescente-se ainda que,
quatro inquéritos policiais e um processo criminal, instaurados para apurar assassinatos,
em que fazendeiros de Rondon, são acusados de participação nos crimes, simplesmente
desapareceram da delegacia e do Fórum de Rondon do Pará.
O Estado Brasileiro, como signatário do Pacto Internacional dos Direitos Humanos
Econômicos, Sociais e Culturais e do Pacto Internacional dos Direitos Civis e Políticos,
assumiu o compromisso e a obrigação de respeitar, proteger e assegurar estes direitos à
população. A sistemática violência e arbítrio contra os trabalhadores rurais em Rondon
do Pará atentam contra seus direitos civis e políticos. A morosidade na realização da
reforma agrária tem postergado indefinidamente a realização de seus direitos
econômicos e sociais. Tendo em vista as obrigações assumidas pelo Estado Brasileiro,
solicito veementemente à Vossa Excia. que se digne a tomar as medidas necessárias e
eficazes no sentido de impedir a violência contra sindicalistas e trabalhadores de Rondon
do Pará, punir os responsáveis envolvidos nos casos de assassinatos e de proteger as
pessoas que estão sendo ameaçadas de morte por fazendeiros. Além disso, solicito
medidas urgentes no sentido de pressionar e colaborar com o INCRA para o
cumprimento por parte deste, do acordo firmado com o STR de Rondon do Pará e
FETAGRI, o qual previa a realização de ações efetivas de reforma agrária naquele
Município, mediante o assentamento das famílias de sem terra, medida esta
imprescindível para a realização dos direitos humanos dos trabalhadores rurais sem terra.
Gostaria também de ser informado a respeito das medidas concretas tomadas nesta
direção.
Atenciosamente,
c.c: Presidente do tribunal de justiça do Pará,
Desembargadora MARIA DE NAZARETH BRABO DE SOUZA