The Minister of Agrarian Development and Family Agriculture, Paulo Teixeira, said this Sunday (12), in Tremembé (SP), that the group that attacked the Olga Benário settlement, from the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST), intended to subtract a plot of land from the rural settlement, legalized for agrarian reform.
The criminals’ action, which took place on Friday night (10), resulted in the death of two members of the social movement. Another six people required hospital care.
“They [os membros do MST] they were inside the settlement, they were not disturbing anyone. AND [os atiradores] wanted to subtract a lot, they [os assentados] they went to defend the lot. This happened at five in the afternoon. At eight o’clock at night, this group of vandals arrived and shot, leading to the death of two of these settlers”, said Teixeira at a press conference in Tremembé.
“What we hope is that the police clarify the authorship of this crime and the true mastermind of this crime. And that can provide security to these settlers who want to get on with their lives, want to produce food”, added the Minister of Agrarian Development and Family Farming.
Teixeira also said that the criminals’ actions will not embarrass the federal government’s agrarian reform program. “On the contrary, he [o programa] will move towards settling people, guaranteeing food production and guaranteeing the safety of the settlers”.
Prison
Earlier, the São Paulo Civil Police reported that he arrested on Saturday afternoon (11) one of the suspects of killing the two people who were in the settlement. According to the MST, Valdir do Nascimento, 52-year-old Valdirzão, and Gleison Barbosa de Carvalho, 28, were shot dead. Nascimento was one of the leaders of the settlement.
According to the police, the detainee, identified as the intellectual mastermind of the crime, is known as Nero do Piseiro and already had a criminal record for illegal possession of a firearm. He was recognized by witnesses who saw the criminals arriving at the scene in cars and motorcycles.
The Minister of Human Rights and Citizenship, Macaé Evaristo, also present at the victims’ wake in Tremembé, reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to investigating the case.
“We are here today, at the request of President Lula, to reaffirm our government’s commitment to investigating the facts. From the point of view of the Ministry of Human Rights, to say that our team will be here accompanying the families, listening individually and collectively building a proposal for collective protection”.
The minister also highlighted that social movements are at risk in the state of São Paulo, and defended protective measures.
“We continue to fight and we know that here in São Paulo we need to pay very special attention, because our movements are under fire and firing lines. And our people cannot perish due to the executioners, who are those few who think they own all the wealth of our country”, he said.
Gilmar Mauro, from the national directorate of the MST, said that the area in which the settlement in Tremembé is located attracts real estate interest from criminal groups due to its privileged location.
“This is a region with many settlements close to urban areas and, therefore, a reason for the drive for local real estate capital. First, invading areas of forest reserves and then invading lots within settlements with the aim of transforming them into areas for condominiums and real estate speculation,” he said.
According to him, the advance of criminal groups relies on the participation of armed militias, like the one that committed the crimes on Friday. “Of course there is collusion on the part of regional politicians and, obviously, the use of militia forces to carry out the execution and massacre that they carried out yesterday in the settlement.”
In a statement, the Workers’ Party called for a “strong and immediate” reaction from the security authorities in the state of São Paulo and also the Federal Police.
“The cowardly and brutal attack left strong evidence that it was planned and executed by bandits from a criminal faction, working for local real estate speculators, who are interested in appropriating the settlement’s lands, legalized by the agrarian reform.”
According to the party, threats and attacks similar to this have occurred in other settlements located close to urban areas around the country.
“This is a crime against the country, against peace, security and the rights of the population. This violence cannot go unpunished, otherwise attacks of this type will spread across the country.”
