On the morning of 02 June, 2016, Jaison Caique Sampaio, a 23-year-old man, was shot dead in Trindade, Paraty, on the Green Coast of Rio de Janeiro. Jaison was at his house when he got shot on the neck, back and leg.
The killing took place in the context of a dispute between a local indigenous community and the multinational company Trindade Desenvolvimento Territorial (TDT) which is claiming ownership of the land and trying to force the indigenous community off the land. Jaison was shot by two off duty military policeman who work as private security for this company.
Residents of the traditional Trindade community have stated that they are constantly threatened by employees of the company Trindade Territorial Development (Trindade Desenvolvimento Territorial (TDT). Jaison Caique’s family lives in an area designated for community farming and are the legitimate owners of the land. Employees of the TDT Company had previously threatened Jaison’s family claiming that the company own the territory.
The Trindade community’s struggle to stay in its traditional land first began in 1970 when a multinational tourism company claimed ownership of the land occupied by 120 families in the region. Since then, the community of Trindade has been struggling in the defense its traditional lands.