The Killing
Source: Business Human Rights organisation
On 30 March 2019, gunmen invaded the landless camp known as Seringal São Domingos to evict landless peasants. Four people were killed, including 50 year old Nemis Machado de Oliveira, the leader of the camp who left behind a wife and three children.
The gunmen also set on fire the houses of 140 families who live from the extraction of rubber and small crops. The area is plagued by agrarian conflicts, land grabs, illegal logging and deforestation that has resulted in violence and murders. According to reports, the gunmen were 6 unknown hooded and armed men.
Source: CPT Communication Advisory
Nemis Machado de Oliveira, 50, was rescued from the area by his family. He was buried Monday, April 1st, in the municipality of Acrelândia (AC), about 140 kilometers from the Seringal.
The crime took place in Seringal São Domingos, municipality of Lábrea, in Amazonas. The area, which is difficult to access, is close to the triple border of the states of Acre, Amazonas and Rondônia, and is located in the region known as Ponta do Abunã.
History of violence
Source: CPT Communication Advisory
Since 2016, 140 families have occupied the territory known as Seringal São Domingos, which, according to residents, belongs to the Union. Most of the occupants of the area are from Acrelândia. The region has a long history of agrarian conflicts that involves farmers, land grabbers and loggers.
On Saturday, armed gunmen invaded the Seringal, shot people, burned houses, including Nemis’. The worker had part of his body burned. A neighbor’s house was also set on fire.
Due to the recent death threats and the long history of conflict that plagues the locality, families are afraid to report this crime, including the existence of more dead people. According to the CPT team in Acre, fear has silenced several other conflict situations in the region and in the same community, such as previous attacks by jagunços.
In the violence of last Saturday, the squatters denounce the absence of the state at the scene of the crime, which further increases the insecurity of those who remain in Seringal São Domingos after the attack by the gunmen. There are also several reports of missing persons who took shelter in the woods to escape the gunmen.
The Investigation
Source: R7 Noticias
On Saturday, armed men shot at people and burned houses. Oliveira was shot and his body was burned. According to the CPT, dozens of families fled in a panic into the forest. Until the morning of this Tuesday, 2, several people remained missing. In addition to the home of the leader of the rubber plantation, two others were set on fire.
The Lábrea Military Police reported that a team went to the region and was searching for the missing persons, but no other bodies were found. The hypothesis is that people have taken refuge in nearby villages, such as the district of Nova California, in Rondônia. The dead farmer had bought an area in the rubber plantation, where he also cultivated and raised animals. He left a wife and three children.
Source: Camara dos Deputos
CDHM calls for speedy investigation into murder and human rights violations in rubber plantations in Amazonas.
The Pastoral Land Commission (CPT) denounced to the Human Rights and Minorities Commission of the Chamber of Deputies (CDHM), the murder of rubber tapper leader Nemis Machado de Oliveira, who worked at the São Domingos rubber plantation, in Lábrea (AM). The region, known as Ponta do Abunã, is close to the triple frontier of the states of Acre, Amazonas and Rondônia.
Still according to the CPT, armed gunmen allegedly invaded the rubber plantation, shot at workers and burned houses, like Nemis’. The rural worker had part of his body burned. The attack took place on March 30.
Because of the recent death threats and the long history of agrarian conflicts in the region, families, according to CPT in Acre, fear to denounce this crime, including the possibility of more people being killed. Fear would be silencing rubber tappers in other conflict situations, such as previous attacks by jagunços.
To assist in the verification of these facts, the president of the Human Rights and Minorities Commission of the Chamber of Deputies (CDHM), Helder Salomão (PT / ES) asked the Attorney General of Acre, Kátia Rodrigues and the Secretary of Public Security of the state, Colonel Paulo Cesar dos Santos, information about the investigations and what action is being taken on the crime.
“The workers denounce the absence of the state in the area, which increases the insecurity of those who remain in the São Domingos rubber plantation after the attack. There are also reports of missing people because they took shelter in the woods to escape the gunmen. And there are constant threats made using photos of rubber tappers and their families, to drive them out of the region ”, says Helder Salomão.