Rondônia Peasants Resist New Latifundist Attack

A group of goons led by Gesulino Travagine Castro, a notorious criminal, has launched a new attack on peasants in the Valdiro Chagas Revolutionary Area, in Machadinho d’Oeste, Rondônia. The peasants reported that the aggressors shot them, causing panic, especially among children. They also beat people, broke into their homes, and shot at the peasants’ security cameras. A peasant woman stated that the goons stole a gate chain and left bullet casings at the scene, in a new attempt to intimidate the organized peasants.

The attack occurred two days after a public act in the Companheiro José Ricardo Revolutionary Area in solidarity with the peasants of the Gedeon José Duque area.

The peasants also denounce that the Military Police is once again covering up the crimes of the goons. Aerial images published by Resistência Camponesa show that the Military Police was present in the area, blocking the residents’ access to roads leading to the Valdiro Chagas Regional Park, while a black armored van shot the peasants.

Source: Resistência Camponesa

The Brazilian Association of People’s Lawyers (Abrapo) denounced the violence and the inaction of the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (Incra) in regularizing the land situation, which is considered public and should be destined for agrarian reform. Abrapo also accused the Military Police of covering up the crimes, as drone images showed the presence of Military Police cars and troops in the area.

Source: Resistência Camponesa

The peasants had already denounced the situation in the zone and the attacks to the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Rondônia over two months ago, and the bandits continue to terrorize the region with police support, in a systematic manner, as it is the same leader, the same assassin, and the same modus operandi used to attack and expel families from the Revolutionary Area Gedeon José Duque.

Gesulino Travagine Castro is a known criminal in the region, convicted of the Buritis Massacre and who has attacked the Gedeon José Duque Revolutionary Area several times.