NATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR REGULARIZATION OF QUILOMBO LAND
QUILOMBOL@ www.cohre.org/quilombos
Editorial We want to congratulate all those who participated in the preparation of this new Electronic bulletin Quilombol@. The publication is part of a nationwide campaign called “Social Justice and Regularization of the Quilombo lands“ which is being promoted by The Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions, (Cohre); The National Coordination of actions by the quilombo communities (Conaq); and by the Association of Rural AfroBrazilian quilombo communities of Maranhão (Aconeruq). SELAVIP, The Ford Foundation and the Swiss Embassy in Rio de Janeiro support the initiative. As well as providing information and promoting debates, the campaign will be able to count on legal initiatives directed towards making the processes of regularizing, documenting and titling the lands occupied by the quilombolas more effective. It will also promote programs of leadership training to develop community leaders able to take advantage of existing national and international legislation that could be used to further the communities´ objectives. The Quilombol@. will publicize advances and challenges in the entitlement process in the communities, as well as providing information on their way of life and the general housing situation. In this way, it will be an open space for anyone interested in sharing information and experiences helpful in the quilombolas´ struggle to achieve full enjoyment of their social, economic and cultural rights. A fraternal abraço and good reading! COHRE AMERICAS
Land ownership conflicts in Alcântara of President Fernando Collor to 62000 hectares. In 2000, the Brazilian Federal Government signed an agreement with the USA government for the commercial use of the facility.
Civic entities and community leaders attempting to solve the problems generated by the growth of the installations of the Equatorial Space Launch facility (CLA) near the town of Alcântara in Northern Brazil, reiterated, in a recent hearing at the Federal Government offices, the need to speedup the legal processes for regularization of land ownership in the nearby quilombo communities which are being seriously affected by the growth of the federal facility. From the point of view of civic society, regularization is the most effective way to solve the economic, social and cultural problems now afflicting these traditional communities and which are caused principally by the expansion plans of this military facility in the Brazilian State of Maranhão. The demand was reaffirmed at another meeting promoted by the Special Inter-Ministerial Group (GEI) on the 18th of February where proposals from civic societies were discussed in the presence of representatives of MABE (Movimento dos Atingidos pela Base); Aconeruq; The Human Rights Society of Maranhão; The National Report on Housing Rights; Cohre; The Office of the Mayor of Alcântara and other Ministries and Secretariats who are ex-oficio members of the GEI. The CLA was created in 1983 for launching and tracking rockets and originally occupied an area of 52 000 hectares, mostly quilombo land. This was increased during the government
The CLA facility occupies 55% of the Alcântara municipal area where some 3600 families live. During the last two decades, 20 communities (1350 persons) were forcibly removed from their traditional homes in the village to jerry-built, so-called “agrovilas” where the land is of very poor quality and where they live in uncertainty as no land titles were provided. The natural resources are poor or non-existent, fishing is impossible and hunting for whatever few wild animals exist has been made difficult, the sea beaches are a long way away and the military base itself restricts access to the natural resources. Now, eight more of the local communities have been threatened with forcible removal (Samucangaua, Iririzal, Ladeira, Só Assim, Santa Maria, Canelatiua, Itapera and Mamuninha) and if carried out, this would involve the removal of a further 1350 persons, mostly quilombo communities. These violations of the economic, social and cultural rights of the quilombolas, brought about by the expansion of the Space Centre are being closely observed by various Brazilian and International organisations. It was in an effort to mediate and resolve the problem that President created the GEI in 2004. Although initially this group seemed to be heading in the right direction by listening to statements from both sides of the question, and by recognising the errors of the previous governments, the fact that time is passing without any official manifestation about the planned forcible removals, is raising doubts and causing considerable concern.