Dear Friend, MOQUIBOM, one of our partners in Brazil, has shared urgent and distressing news from an Afrodescendant quilombola community. They’re requesting our solidarity to seek security and justice — will you join their call? On the evening of April 19, an egregious attack was carried out against the community members of the Onça Quilombo in the municipality of Santa Inês in Maranhão. The perpetrator, a large-scale rancher known as Franciano, released his cattle on the community’s land, which destroyed vital food crops, and sent armed men into the community, who committed acts of violence, including firing gunshots. The invaders retreated but threatened to return to carry out further violence. The region's military police were called and came to the community, but made no efforts to arrest the perpetrators or protect Onça Quilombo. The community still faces ongoing risk. Unfortunately, this attack is not an isolated case. Maranhão has the highest number of agrarian conflicts involving quilombos across Brazil. Through its inaction, the state has been complicit in the face of these threats, assaults, and assassinations. We are joining MOQUIBOM in calling on people around the world to write to state and federal officials to open an investigation into the attack and to protect the quilombola territory from further assaults. Would you take five minutes and sign the letter? |
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Please take action today. In solidarity, |
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