The vegetation surrounding some of the houses where 50 families live in Quilombo Rio Preto, in the town of Lagoa do Tocantins, Tocantins state, was set on fire. Days after that, on September 23, four gunshots from a car scared the community. In the first hours of Monday (25), the straw that covers one of the houses was also set on fire. Thanks to a dog's bark, residents managed to put out the fire before it spread.
The attacks on the quilombola community intensified after September 8, when Judge Aline Iglesias from Tocantins Court of Justice revoked a repossession request targeting the quilombola families. The repossession request was made by the Brazilian company Lagoa Dourada Participações e Serviços SC LTDA and Cristiano Rodrigues de Sousa, a politician affiliated with the Brazilian Democratic Movement (MDB, in Portuguese) who ran as deputy mayor in the 2020 elections.
“They are setting fire near the houses to burn them down. Because of that, the community moves from one side to the other trying to curb the fires”, says Antônia*, a quilombola woman who lives in Rio Preto.
“Right now, the community is very vulnerable when considering both our psychological state and food resources”, Antônia adds, explaining that the residents are afraid of going to their small farms to work. “If we don’t plant, we don’t eat. That’s our call for help”.
Maryellen Crisóstomo, from the State Coordination of Quilombola Communities of Tocantins (Coeqto), highlights that “without security to move around and unable to take care of their plantations, families are besieged within their own territory”.
Among the decisions Judge Aline Iglesias took, she also determined that Rodrigues de Sousa and Lagoa Dourada company “refrain from the practice of ‘esbulho possessório’” – a legal term in Brazil for the illegal possession of land, which can happen using violence – “directly or through their representatives”, under penalty of a daily fine of 1,000 reais (US$ 200).
Brasil de Fato talked to Cristiano de Sousa, who informed he would not make public statements on the matter. We also contacted Lagoa Dourada company. Until we finished this news story, there was no response. If either of the two take a position, the text will be updated.
Total of 44 quilombola communities certified, but just 6 to be titled
According to Crisóstomo, “Rio Preto quilombo has been suffering a wave of violence that worsened in recent days, but it all started with land grabbing cases in the area.
In 2018, the Justice Court gave a favorable opinion to the politician and the company that claims the area. According to Rio Preto residents, the area has been traditionally occupied by them for around a century. The expulsion of quilombolas was temporarily interrupted by a decision of the Supreme Court suspending evictions while the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak.
With the resumption of the two cases, Iglesias revoked the eviction based on statements from the Public Defender's Office, the Federal Public Ministry and the State Secretariat for Native and Traditional Peoples of the Government of Tocantins.
Still waiting for the emission of the document guaranteeing the definitive possession of the land, since 2014 Rio Preto quilombo has a certificate of recognition from the Palmares Cultural Foundation attesting it is a quilombola community.
In Tocantins state, Rio Preto is just one of dozens of quilombos that, despite recognition from the Palmares Foundation, remain vulnerable due to the lack of definitive regularization.
“In Tocantins state, we currently have 44 quilombola communities certified by the Palmares Cultural Foundation. Other communities are waiting for the emission of this document. Of the total of 44 quilombola communities, only six have advanced to get the document”, explains Maryellen. “Quilombolas [those who live in quilombos] are not part of Tocantins’ development plan and, therefore, violence is all we have”, she summarizes.
What is a quilombo?
“Quilombo” is a term used to describe a community made up mainly of people of African descent who historically took refuge and resisted slavery and racial oppression. The word "quilombo" originates from the Kimbundu language, which was spoken by African people who were brought as slaves to Brazil during the colonial period.
The formation of quilombos occurred mainly during the period of slavery in Brazil, which lasted more than 300 years, from the 16th century to the beginning of the 19th century. Enslaved people who managed to escape became known as "quilombolas", and took refuge in remote areas, such as forests, mountains and rural areas that were difficult to access. There they established self-sustainable communities. As their main goal, these communities defended freedom and preservation of African culture.
With the end of slavery in Brazil in 1888, many quilombos gradually disappeared, but some survived and persist to this day. At the end of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, there was a growing recognition of the historical and cultural relevance of quilombos, leading to legal recognition of their lands and rights.
In 1988, Brazil’s Federal Constitution recognized the State's obligation to title lands occupied by remaining quilombo communities, thus guaranteeing the preservation of their cultural traditions and ways of life. This legal recognition was an important milestone in the fight for racial equality and to preserve the Afro-Brazilian cultural heritage.
Today, quilombos are considered a living cultural heritage and represent a fundamental aspect of Afro-Brazilian history and identity, contributing to promote diversity and social justice in the country.
*The name has been changed to protect the source.
Edited by: Nadini Lopes e Rodrigo Durão Coelho
