Brazil: Goons and Military Police invade Zumbi dos Palmares Camp and detain 5 peasants

We share an unofficial translation of an article published by A Nova Democracia

On the afternoon of this Monday, 02/12, Military Police carried out an eviction operation against the Zumbi dos Palmares Camp in Messias and took 5 peasants into custody.

According to a complaint from the Messias Support Committee, the police was heavily armed, and additionally, being covered by goons, they also had help from five cars and a backhoe from the Utinga Leão Plant.

Yesterday, the peasants victoriously repelled the attacks against the camp by the police in collusion with the latifundium and the region’s pistol squad. The camp lands had recently been retaken by squatters.

The fact that the police has the support of paramilitary groups and uses a backhoe from the Plant demonstrates the illegal political connection between the parties.

The struggle in the region has been extremely tense and the peasants have won important victories, such as the city council’s refusal to evict the peasants from the community of Pista Velha, around two weeks ago.

Since October, the Messias squatters have been fighting against the terror actions conducted by the latifundium, which have already left more than 700 families homeless, in addition to destroying the crops and the livelihood of several families.