Brazil: ‘Invasão Zero’ Repealed in the Gedeon Duque Area After Attack Attempt
We share an unofficial translation of an article found in A Nova Democracia.
Peasants who went today, April 26, to the Gedeon José Duque Area to recover belongings after a series of attacks by the goons’ gang of Gesulino Castro ended up encountering the criminals in the area cutting down the local forest. The group of criminals attacked the peasants, who responded. No workers were injured.
The peasants report that as soon as the peasant self-defense acted, the driver of the goon’s truck retreated, leaving behind the workers who were cutting down the forest and the other goons. One logger was injured, probably by the guaxebas themselves, but the peasants advised him to run away.
The peasants fear that the paramilitary gang will kill this worker to blame the peasants and justify new attacks. Since yesterday, Machadinho d’Oeste, where the area is located, has been the target of a huge repressive apparatus with several vehicles and even ATVs.
According to the complaint sent to the local correspondent in Porto Velho, the police claim to be in the region to suppress environmental crimes, but tend to divert their actions to attack the struggle for land.
The gang of Gesulino Castro carried out several attacks in the Revolutionary Area Gedeon José Duque at the end of March and the beginning of April. The largest attack occurred between April 9 and 10 when Gesulino’s gang, police, and paramilitaries from “Invasão Zero” mobilized more than 15 trucks to expel the peasants. Several residents of the Gedeon area had to go to neighboring camps to avoid being killed by the goons or arrested by the police. On that occasion, the criminal Gesulino published videos on the internet bragging about the crimes.
Instead of arresting the declared criminal and the other paramilitaries, the police launched a mega-operation against the Gedeon area on April 11. During the episode, 26 peasants were unjustly arrested, and the women of the workers were forced to cook for the military while they demolished the houses.
