Former Brazilian Slaves Win One in Court

A ray of hope for quilombos broke through the clouds this month on a much sought-after pristine beach and rainforest in the state of Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The area in dispute is called Cacandoca, a term believed to mean “the forest of the Guinea Bissau.”


It is the property of a quilombo, a term which refers to a community of descendants of runaway slaves dating back to the 1800’s.


The community claims that in 1881 José Antunes de Sá, who is said to have had an affair with a slave midwife named Tomazia, granted title of the land to the community on his deathbed.


However, a real estate company, Urbanizadora Continental, claimed that they had bought 210 hectares of the land in 1974. This same company owns luxury beach condominiums adjacent to the land.


Earlier, a local judge had ruled in favor of Urbanizadora Continental, but various entities and organs of the state entered a request to nullify the decision. The Justice Tribunal of São Paulo did exactly that.


At the same time INCRA, the state’s land authority, officially recognized the area as quilombo territory.


“I hope that the resolution of this dispute be an opening for other quilombos in Brazil, and that quilombo territory never be treated as common land,” said quilombo leader Antônio dos Santos.


Of the 2,228 quilombos in Brazil, only 70 have official title to their lands.


SEJUP – Brazilian Service of Justice and Peace – www.sejup.org

Tags:

You May Also Like

News that Bank of Brazil Took Part in Government Scandal Helps Chill Brazil Market

LatAm Stocks End Mixed CSN, Aracruz, Gol Beatrice Denis News that Bank of Brazil ...

Brazil Votes in Favor of UN’s Declaration on Indian Rights

The UN Human Rights Council approved on June 29 the Declaration on the Rights ...

Wars: There and Here

Nothing new in the media front. The question of Iraq was erroneously conveyed and ...

In Brasília, Capital of Brazil, Dengue Has Struck Worst Among the Rich

Compared to the same period last year the number of reported cases of dengue ...

Brazil’s Lula Will Be at Davos Again This Month

As he did in 2003, this year Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva ...

US Rate Hike Cools Brazilian Market

Brazilian markets declined, yesterday, ahead of a possible U.S. interest rate hike on Wednesday. ...

Other Mercosur Members Don’t See Eye to Eye with Brazil

It seems that approval of the new composition for the Mercosur Parliament scheduled to ...

Brazil Finds Out that Strengthening Trading Companies Is Good for Country

Launched in April by the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex) the Trading ...

Devon Starts Exploration of Brazilian Oil with 50 Billion Barrels Potential

US-based Devon Energy Corporation announced June 30 that it plans to proceed with development ...