Brazil: Peasant Murdered by Big Landlord After Defending His Son from Aggression

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

Peasant Francisco do Nascimento do Melo was murdered by a big landlord on Tuesday, January 14, in Recreio do Santo Antônio’s community, located on exit 37, in BR-317. The news announced by the Pastoral Land Commission (CPT) shows that the peasant, nicknamed Cafue, died after being shot defending his son from an aggression by the big landlord in the rural area of Boca do Acre.

Witnesses state that Francisco was going to the community were he worked together with his son. During the journey, they came across with the big landlord, the author of the crime. After a discussion, the man attacked the teenager, and Francisco, after intervening to protect his son, was shot and murdered.

Residents of the region state that the big landlord is known for land-grabbing and his violent attitude. According to some statements, he already threatened several local families and he has a history of land conflicts, with judicial registers of hostile behavior. The area were Francisco lived was in the center of a land dispute with the big landlord, who tried to grab the lands and integrate them as part of his property.

The peasant community stated to have asked for help to the National Colonization and Agrarian Reform Institute (Incra) to solve the conflict, but they did not receive any answer from the institution. This murder gross the number of crimes perpetuated by the latifundium in the area known as Amacro, which covers the borders of Amazonas, Acre and Rondônia.

This crime took place only few days after the murder of three peasants of the MST in the settlement Olga Benário, in Tremembé (SP). The increase of the reactionary violence in the countryside brings the necessity that peasants, indigenous and Quilombolas to organize their self-defense to make the Agrarian Revolution advance to destroy latifundium.