On June 11, 2019, Carlos Cabral Pereira, 58, was shot dead. He was a community leader of Sindicato dos Trabalhadores e Trabalhoras Rurais (STR) and Central dos Trabalhadores e Trabalhadoras (CTB), in the Municipality of Rio Maria, in Para state

The city in which the murder took place is known as “A terra da Morte Anunciada”). The main reason is because in the past 34 years, three murderers happened in that area and all the targets were involved in the struggle for land.

On December 18, 1985, Joao Canuto, leader of Partido Comunista do Brasil (PCdoB) was shot dead: then, in February, 1991, Expedito Ribeiro de Souza, leader of the STR  was also murdered. At the time, farmers were accused of both deaths and Adilson Carvalho Laranjeira, Vantuir Goncalvez and Jeronimo Alves Amorim were identified as the culprits.

Brazilian authorities, such as the Prosecutor’s Office, are carrying out an investigation to determine who is the intellectual  author of Carlos’ murder. In addition, sources state that several years ago the leader had been the target of an attempted murderer in 1991.  However he survived that attack.