Brazil: The Pataxó People are Retaking their Land Despite the Harassment of the Latifundium
Featured image: banner indicates that the land was retaken by the Pataxó indigenos people. Source: A Nova Democracia.
On 3rd of August the Pataxó started to retake their Indigenous land, as A Nova Democracia as reported, that belonged to them historically. The land is called Comexatibá and is in the municipality of Prado in far south of Bahía. The people Pataxó, and other indigenous people, are claiming this land for themselves. But on the other side the latifundium wants it for their real estate speculation. Also the Chinese social-imperialism is interested in this area, due to the amount of resources.
A year ago, the law “Marco Temporal” was enacted, in which only the land that was in possession of indigenous people during the last declaration of the constitution, is declared to be theirs. That and the local political harassment, are hindering them to live in peace in their own land. In a letter, the indigenous people denounce the federal and State’s governments, and demand their resignation.
The violence against the indigenous people is present in all parts of Brazil, in form of criminal gangs and military police, who promote with massacres, murders, and institutional harassment.
In the beginning the big landlords wanted to buy some indigenous paying them millions in order to get the land. But they never surrendered and then the goons began to shoot.
On the Countryside of Bahía, as well as in all parts of Brazil, the main tendency of terror against poor peasants, indigenous people and quilambola, by paramilitary gangs like the “União Agro” “Invasão Zero” keep present. And Bahía is the 3rd State in the number of agrarian conflicts in Brazil. The Pataxó People are confronting a lot or repression and violence by the Latifundium, paramilitary groups and the State, for example the murders of two leaders of Pataxó in the last years.
