ATIK | Confederation of Workers from Turkey in Europe | AHM-ATIK News Center
BRAZİL | 13 – 12 – 2009 | On December 9, at 2 o’clock pm, two coordinators of the Poor Peasants League of Rondônia, northern Brazil (LCP / RO) were kidnapped by paramilitaries in the service of landowners, on the road linking the peasant camp called Rio Alto and the city Buritis, in the state of Rondônia.
The coordinators Elcio Machado (called Sabiá) and Gilson Gonçalves were tortured with refinements of cruelty and they have their fingernails torn out and also pieces of skin from their bodies, then both were killed. On the same day morning two peasants had been persecuted in the same road.
Gilson had been interviewed in 2008 by the delegation of the International Association of People’s Lawyers – IAPL, which held a mission to investigate the facts, abuse and violence of the Brazilian State and landowners against the poor peasants of Rondônia.
The camp Rio Alto is located on lands that went to reserved for the Settlement Project peasants Rio Alto. But by the connivance of officials of the Incra, National Institute of Agrarian Reform, an agency of the federal government, those lands were illegally taken by the landowner Edilson Cadalto. Since last year more than 45 families are camped in that area and resisting the attacks of armed gangs of paramilitaries in the service of landowner.
In July 2008, another peasants were kidnapped and had their hands tied and were beaten. On this occasion the police were days before the camp with the excuse to search and to seizure of weapons, in order to prepare the attacks of landowners. The peasants recognized that several police officers were “working” together the paramilitaries of landowner.
The police had no legal authorization to make the search for weapons in local and their action was totally illegal. But they did take action to protect the interests of the landowner Edilson Cadalto who negotiated more than 800 thousand dollars for wood through of timber management plans with the vice mayor of city Buritis, Rondônia.
Márcia Pereira do Nascimento, a ombudsman agrarian of the federal government, openly said that if the families who are in Rio Alto are murdered by paramilitaries she wouldn’t mind at all. We, of LCP-RO denounce the authorities in Porto Velho all these absurdities. But nothing was done!
At a meeting held on last December 3, in the office of Incra in the city Porto Velho, capital of Rondônia, when attended the commander of the Policie of Buritis, officials of Incra, the landowner Edilson Cadalto and Nacional Agrarian Ombudsman Gercino was signed the death warrant of the peasants. Gercino José da Silva Filho warns that peasants will be punished for alleged illegalities, called for police action, and defended the security of property, and cynically confident that the landowner will not do anything against the peasants families. The commander of the Police of Buritis, Maj. Antônio Matias de Alcantara has false accusations that have been debunked that the LCP acts using guerrilla tactics. But he hid that officers under his command work in training the armed groups of landowners and receive money to escort the wood cut out by the landowners of the area.
At this same meeting was attended by 4 paramilitaries of landowner. They were at the meeting in order to identify the peasant Sabiá, coordinator of the LCP. This is an old trick used by Incra to play your dirty role the police service of landowner.
Gercino Filho again shows the true role of the National Agrarian Ombudsman and your National Commission for Fighting Violence in the Countryside, which is to criminalize a fair fight the land while the bandits and murderers landowners are treated as “good people”. The murder of the coordinators of the LCP is the responsibility of the Ombudsman Gercino and the Incra of Rondônia.
The National Commission of Poor Peasants League repudiates the coward attitude of Incra and Nacional Agrarian Ombudsman and requires finding the facts and punish all responsible.
We call on all true democrats, supporters and sympathizers of the peasant struggle in Brazil to denounce that new crime against the peasants of Rondônia.
Punishment Dilson Caldato, the landowner and his gangs!
The people want land, not repression!
Death to the landlordism!
Long live the Agrarian Revolution!
The National Commission of Poor Peasants League
Poor Peasants League of Rondônia and western Amazon
Jaru, Rondônia, December 10th, 2009
Northern Brazil
