{"id":50027080,"date":"2019-05-20T14:43:28","date_gmt":"2019-05-20T13:43:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stage.dialogochino.net\/?p=27080"},"modified":"2024-09-03T11:51:13","modified_gmt":"2024-09-03T10:51:13","slug":"27080-besieged-by-progress","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/justice\/27080-besieged-by-progress\/","title":{"rendered":"Besieged by progress"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds (Maranh\u00e3o) &#8211; The earth trembles in the community of Cajueiro. Heavy machinery advances where there used to be people and dense Amazon jungle. Runoff, red from the soil, flows and buries mangroves and the hopes of those who no longer see the future here \u2013 a place that once had very different rhythms and sounds. In S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds, the capital of north-eastern Brazil\u2019s Maranh\u00e3o state, the construction of a port to transport grains, fuels and minerals from Brazil to China has been beset by violence against rural populations and suspicions of land grabbing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/en.ccccltd.cn\/\">China Communications Construction Company<\/a>&nbsp;and WPR S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds Port and Terminal Management are building a deep-water port in one of the most coveted regions of the planet. Shipments from here will travel along the Panama Canal, arriving in China faster and a lower cost. Only Rotterdam in Holland has waters as deep as here in the S\u00e3o Marcos Bay, which will accommodate the world\u2019s largest vessels. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the region also has native forests and mangroves, the preservation of which is essential for the reproduction and survival of countless species of fish, crabs and other animals. The northern states of Maranh\u00e3o, Par\u00e1 and Amap\u00e1 are home to 70% of Brazil&#8217;s mangroves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The port is also central to increasing grain production. This part of the Cerrado biome is characterised by smallholders, indigenous people and descendants of slaves (known as&nbsp;<em>quilombolas<\/em>). Half of the biome has already been eliminated, mainly by agribusiness. Protecting its deep-rooted vegetation is vital to maintaining water sources, fighting climate change and ensuring the survival of these populations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>China Communications Construction Company already operates transport infrastructure connected to the ports of Santos (S\u00e3o Paulo), Paranagu\u00e1 (Paran\u00e1) and A\u00e7u (Rio de Janeiro). It is interested in more projects all over Brazil. Again, many are linked to agribusiness. The Chinese state-owned company has an annual turnover of more than US$60 billion and has assets in Africa, Central America, Asia, and the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Veja imagens do desmatamento no Cajueiro!\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/fvDhoI5FS4k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Former President Michel Temer&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/http:\/\/www.itamaraty.gov.br\/pt-BR\/notas-a-imprensa\/17378-atos-assinados-por-ocasiao-da-visita-do-presidente-michel-temer-a-china-pequim-31-de-agosto-a-3-de-setembro-de-2017\">secured<\/a>&nbsp;a US$700 million loan from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) for the construction of the port. He was arrested in March after being accused by the Federal Public Ministry of leading a corruption scheme that spent&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/https:\/\/politica.estadao.com.br\/blogs\/fausto-macedo\/lava-jato-revela-r-18-bi-em-propina-no-esquema-temer\/\">US$460 million<\/a>&nbsp;on bribes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds Port project could generate about 5,000 jobs, according to the Maranh\u00e3o Government\u2019s Secretariat of Social Communication and Political Affairs. The terminal neighbours three other ports, railroads, huge yards to store iron ore and containers, a thermoelectric plant and a highway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the middle of all these developments, the Cajueiro community struggles to maintain its way of life. Yet, if they resist, they pay a high price. Since 2014, villagers have reported the destruction of houses and fields, threats and problems fishing and cultivating crops. Armed security guards move through what remains of the village. The area has been devastated by deforestation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>About 2,500 people live in the territory of Cajueiro. At the construction site, the number of residents has fallen from 250 to 50 since works began in March 2018, according to a research<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/http:\/\/www.gedmma.ufma.br\/\">&nbsp;group on development, modernity and the environment at Maranh\u00e3o Federal University<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe identified irregular links between Brazilian and international capital, the government and the judiciary related with social and environmental crimes, like the destruction of vegetation protected by federal law and mangroves,\u201d said State Congressman Wellington do Curso.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Conflicts grew as private sector pressured inhabitants to leave their lands and homes. In 2017, five people received death threats, three from same family, according to the Pastoral Land Commission, a Catholic Church organisation that has published annual reports on violence in the countryside since 1985, when Brazil ended two decades of a military dictatorship.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of those threatened is fisherman Cl\u00f3vis Amorim da Silva (52).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWe belong to the community, to the region. It is not possible for a company to come in an imposing and coercive way because it has money because it owns the judiciary, the judge and who knows who else,\u201d he said, adding; \u201cWe resist [in order] to demonstrate that our rights exist and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/https:\/\/dialogochino.net\/12109-latin-america-demands-respect-for-rights-but-will-china-listen\/\">must be respected<\/a>. You can\u2019t look only at the rights of big actors. This project has to stop, because of all the social and environmental irregularities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Professor Hor\u00e1cio Antunes de Sant\u2019ana J\u00fanior of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/http:\/\/www.gedmma.ufma.br\/\">Maranh\u00e3o Federal University<\/a>&nbsp;was also threatened. He accused private sector actors and state government of disregarding communities\u2019 rights. Pamphlets distributed at his university accused Antunes de Sant\u2019ana J\u00fanior and students of interfering in the construction of the Cajueiro port, which authorities have already granted a license. The authors of the material have not been identified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-pressure-cooker\">Pressure cooker<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Sant\u2019ana J\u00fanior was also attacked directly by WPR \u2013 S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds Gest\u00e3o de Portos e Terminais. The company accused him of acting against the port on behalf of the federal university and demanded an administrative hearing. The institution was threatened with a lawsuit (pictured below) if such \u201cabusive and illegal practices weren\u2019t prevented\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image aligncenter block--article-image block--article-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/6b028c5ec1a68f57161673174c9530a07a2134b8_cita.png\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/6b028c5ec1a68f57161673174c9530a07a2134b8_cita.png 943w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 943px\" alt=\"\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\">In the event that the Maranh\u00e3o Federal University fails to comply with the request in this notification, something not believed to happen, WPR emphasises that it will take appropriate legal action against all involved, either by deliberate action or by irresponsible omission.<\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/6b028c5ec1a68f57161673174c9530a07a2134b8_cita.png\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"103 KB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"200\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"943\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>The university shrugged off the threats. However, using material it found on social media, WPR accused a public defence lawyer and a state judge of acting with civil entities in defense of the Cajueiro community. The lawyer had received and forwarded residents\u2019 complaints, while the judge followed up on them in state courts. Both were removed from the case.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Maranh\u00e3o Court ruled in favour of the private terminal. Judge Lourival Serejo&nbsp;described S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds as a city with an \u201cobvious port profile\u201d. &nbsp;This, despite the withdrawal of a request from the Federal Public Prosecutor\u2019s Office for public hearings to clarify the ownership of the land on which port works are being carried out. The area is disputed between the traditional community and the companies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Government of Maranh\u00e3o admitted that it is licensing the port without a clear definition of land tenure. \u201cThe State Government points out that the case is pending several trials, (\u2026) in which, among others, the right to possession and ownership of the disputed property is discussed. It is up to the Judicial Branch to decide on the ownership of the property\u201d, the Maranh\u00e3o Government\u2019s Secretariat of Social Communication and Political Affairs wrote in a letter (see full text&nbsp;in Portuguese).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image aligncenter block--article-image block--article-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_a-sandy-foreground.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_a-sandy-foreground-768x494.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_a-sandy-foreground-1024x658.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_a-sandy-foreground.jpg 1280w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 1280px\" alt=\"a sandy ground with palm oil trees in the back\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_a-sandy-foreground.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"354 KB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"823\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"1280\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>For the Federal Public Prosecutor\u2019s Office, no license could be issued without a legal decision about the property. \u201cThe formal ownership of the area by traditional residents was not considered during environmental licensing. The invisibility of people\u2019s rights feeds agrarian conflict. This is the most concerning aspect of the licensing,\u201d said Alexandre Soares, a Maranh\u00e3o state federal prosecutor.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marco Ant\u00f4nio Mitidiero J\u00fanior, a researcher at Para\u00edba Federal University is not surprised by this trampling on rights: \u201cIf there is a dispute over unproductive land between a landowner and a peasant collective that wants to produce there, the judiciary always sides with the mindset of landowners and businessmen.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A land of many owners<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Maranh\u00e3o is no different from the rest of the Amazon, where since the time of the colonial \u201csesmos\u201d (1500 \u2013 1822), where vast swathes of land were dedicated to agriculture and livestock, multiple land deeds have been allowed to proliferate, enabling opportunists to show documents claiming ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is in conflict with the \u201cTerritory of Egypt\u201d community established by Massinokou Alapong, a slave from today\u2019s Ghana, in Cajueiro in the mid-19th century. The site remains a reference for African religions in Brazil and is protected many descendants of those who escaped the whip of slavery. The sound of drums still occasionally resonates there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Repairing the fishing net on his balcony, Carlos Augusto Barbosa said that access to the beaches has become more complicated and that fishing has decreased with construction of the port. He arrived in the region in the early 1980s from Guimar\u00e3es, 200 kilometres away. \u201cBefore, we had fish and the beach near us. Over the years, the situation has only gotten worse. Nobody supports us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even with deep roots in the region\u2019s history, its inhabitants are in limbo with many big projects proposed. Brazil\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/http:\/\/www.suzano.com.br\/suzano\/\">Suzano<\/a>, one of the world\u2019s largest pulp and paper producers, already planned to build a port here. Communities were granted reprieve in 1998 when the state government recognised traditional residents\u2019 collective ownership of the territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image aligncenter block--article-image block--article-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_a-group-of-sheep-grazing-on-a-green-hillside.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_a-group-of-sheep-grazing-on-a-green-hillside-768x373.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_a-group-of-sheep-grazing-on-a-green-hillside-1024x498.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_a-group-of-sheep-grazing-on-a-green-hillside.jpg 1280w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 1280px\" alt=\"a group of sheep grazing on a hillside\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_a-group-of-sheep-grazing-on-a-green-hillside.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"470 KB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"622\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"1280\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>At that time, Maranh\u00e3o was governed by Roseana Sarney, daughter of former Brazilian president Jos\u00e9 Sarney. The family has historically wielded power and influence in state and federal politics. Roseana Sarney was elected governor in 1994 and 1998, taking office again in 2009 to replace ousted governor Jackson Lago. One year later, she was re-elected, but resigned in late 2014, citing health problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The term ended in the hands of the president of the state\u2019s Legislative Assembly,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/http:\/\/www.al.ma.leg.br\/deputado\/arnaldo-melo\">state deputy Ant\u00f4nio Arnaldo Alves de Melo<\/a>&nbsp;since the vice-governor had also resigned. On New Year\u2019s Eve, Melo published a decree disposing inhabitants of Cajueiro from land and granting the first license for the private port. Almost 20 houses in the community were demolished by mercenaries at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the first actions by the next governor of Maranh\u00e3o,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/https:\/\/twitter.com\/FlavioDino\">Fl\u00e1vio Dino<\/a>, was to revoke the expropriation of Cajueiro. His government tried to balance the already evident conflicts between the community and businessmen, and the need for more studies on the socio-environmental impacts of the port.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In early 2015, government representatives listened to residents and participated in community meetings. In May the following year, Dino assured Deborah Duprat, at that time deputy attorney general,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/https:\/\/www.ma.gov.br\/comunidades-tradicionais-apresentam-pleitos-em-dialogo-com-governo-e-mpf\/\">that he would seek solutions to the conflict<\/a>. The promises did not materialise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe Maranh\u00e3o government has become complicit in all the irregularities and crimes committed in Cajueiro and shares responsibility for all the environmental and social disasters that the project has already caused and continues to cause,\u201d said Hor\u00e1cio Sant\u2019ana J\u00fanior.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite the collective ownership granted to residents in 1998, the land where the port is built was acquired by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/http:\/\/www.ma.gov.br\/agenciadenoticias\/desenvolvimento\/empresa-chinesa-assina-acordo-de-investimento-para-construcao-de-porto-em-sao-luis\">WPR \u2013 S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds Port and Terminal Management<\/a>&nbsp; in 2014 in negotiation with BC3 HUB Multimodal Industrial. The company belongs to Helcimar Ara\u00fajo Bel\u00e9m Filho, a lawyer and vice president of operational development of the Board of Directors of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/https:\/\/www.crcma.org.br\/newsite\/institucional\/conselho-diretor\">Maranh\u00e3o Regional Accounting Council<\/a>, and Carlos C\u00e9sar Cunha, owner of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/https:\/\/pt-br.facebook.com\/pages\/category\/Sports---Recreation\/Clube-CB-450-204079853067372\/\">Club CB450<\/a>, a popular venue in Vila Embratel, on the outskirts of S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds. Their names are linked to companies authorised to buy and sell land, operate ports, mine, generate energy and trade in timber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Almost a decade ago, Bel\u00e9m Filho hired consultants from Brazil, Switzerland and the UK, who devised the Atl\u00e2ntico Ecuatorial project. A company of the same name was then registered in Nova Lima (Minas Gerais state) by Bel\u00e9m Filho and Willer Hudson Pos, former president of the Minas Gerais Environmental Foundation. Pos was also director of the State Institute of Water Management and was part of the British conglomerate Anglo American, one of the largest mining groups in the world.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Under the plans, an area equivalent to 1,200 football pitches in the Cajueiro region will give way to container yards, terminals for trucks and trains, and a port. The project will also promote iron extraction in Tocantins state. The project promises \u201cThe best business opportunity with a high return on investment\u201d. After contacting Bel\u00e9m Filho for an interview about the port project in Cajueiro, he stopped responding to requests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>C\u00e9sar Cunha\u2019s name appears in other conflicts involving land in Maranh\u00e3o\u2019s capital, in various legal proceedings and even in reports from port operators in the region. One community involved is Camboa dos Frades, near Cajueiro and next to a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/http:\/\/www.eneva.com.br\/nossos-negocios\/geracao-de-energia\/\">thermoelectric<\/a>&nbsp;plant that supplies energy to a substantial part of Maranh\u00e3o.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cHe came saying that he was the landowner, that he would pay for our goods. Many people sold and left, but they haven\u2019t yet been paid yet. We can\u2019t install power, open a road or a small farm. There\u2019s no one to ask for help, only closed doors,\u201d said Maria do Ramo Coelho Santos, a former president of the Camboa dos Frades Residents\u2019 Association.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to a research paper published by Maranh\u00e3o Federal University, the first residents arrived in Camboa dos Frades around 1920. According to a report by the Maranh\u00e3o Port Administration Company, manager of neighbouring Porto do Itaqui (one of the largest in the country), C\u00e9sar Cunha owns more than 240 hectares in the region. \u201cI bought (lands in that place) in 1975,\u201d he told us. At that time, he was 20 years old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image aligncenter block--article-image block--article-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-panoramic-view-of-a-construction-site-nestled-in-the-valley.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-panoramic-view-of-a-construction-site-nestled-in-the-valley-768x326.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-panoramic-view-of-a-construction-site-nestled-in-the-valley-1024x434.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-panoramic-view-of-a-construction-site-nestled-in-the-valley.jpg 1280w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 1280px\" alt=\"a panoramic view of a construction site\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-panoramic-view-of-a-construction-site-nestled-in-the-valley.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"337 KB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"543\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"1280\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>A presumed document forgery scheme for the appropriation of communities\u2019 land in S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds has been under investigation for over two years. To move forward, the inquiry requires the support of agencies linked to the executive and judicial branches of the state. \u201cEven with precarious deeds over a large part of the territory, it should be in order to resort to usucaption [the acquisition of a title or right to property for a prescribed term] to ensure the permanence of the communities in the territories where they traditionally have lived,\u201d said a Maranh\u00e3o government source, who preferred not to be identified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">United by the port<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to the confusion over land ownership and repeated accusations of aggression against traditional residents, the construction of the Cajueiro port is linked to companies investigated for fraud and corruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/https:\/\/www.valor.com.br\/politica\/4698999\/pf-realiza-operacao-mirando-fundos-de-pensao\">Operation Greenfield<\/a>, launched by the Federal Police in 2016 to investigate fraud in pension funds, WPR S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds Port and Terminal Management and the S\u00e3o Paulo contractor WTorre were part of a group controlled by businessman Walter Torre J\u00fanior. Greenfield ties his name to seven companies with the same WPR initials, including the one involved with the S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds Port. WTorre is also linked to commercial buildings, shipyards, vehicle assembly yards and Allianz Parque, the stadium of 2018 Brazilian football champions Palmeiras.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Investigations into financial crimes and embezzlement of public funds from the&nbsp;<em>Lava Jato&nbsp;<\/em>(Car Wash) operation that began five years ago by the Federal Police, indicate that WTorre presumably received R$ 18 million (US$4.6 million) in bribes for construction company OAS to win a public bid, involving a project with state-owned oil giant Petrobras.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Walter Torre J\u00fanior and WPR are also being investigated by a S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds court for environmental crimes relating to the construction of the port of Cajueiro. Complaints were filed by the Maranh\u00e3o Public Ministry over the death of wild animals and the destruction of forests and mangroves in areas protected by federal legislation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Seeking political support for its businesses, WTorre invested almost R$ 10 million (about US$2.6 million) in the 2010 and 2014 Brazilian elections, betting on candidates from all regions of the country. Fl\u00e1vio Dino received one of the company\u2019s largest individual donations in its victorious 2014 campaign, more than R$ 250,000 (US$ 64,000). He was also supported by gas, mining and civil construction companies. Almost 40% of Dino\u2019s campaign resources came from these sectors. The rest was provided by his political party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The following year, private financing of election campaigns was banned by the Federal Supreme Court. Elections in Brazil now rely on donations from citizens, public resources and a political party fund, also sponsored by private entities. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dino is the first and only governor of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/https:\/\/pcdob.org.br\/\">Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB)<\/a>&nbsp;in Brazil. Born in S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds, his first mandate began amid expectations of rapprochement with social movements and rupture with decades of political domination of the state by the Sarney, Lob\u00e3o and Murad families. In his first interviews as an elected official, he promised a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/https:\/\/tvuol.uol.com.br\/video\/pc-do-b-fara-revolucao-burguesa-no-maranhao-diz-flavio-dino-228-0402CC9B3660D8915326\/\">bourgeois democratic revolution<\/a>\u201d and a \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/https:\/\/eleicoes.uol.com.br\/2014\/noticias\/2014\/10\/08\/comunista-dino-promete-choque-de-capitalismo-no-ma.htm\">capitalist shock<\/a>\u201d for Maranh\u00e3o, which has some of the highest rates of rural poverty and violence nationwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image aligncenter block--article-image block--article-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-woman-stands-in-a-lush-field.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-woman-stands-in-a-lush-field-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-woman-stands-in-a-lush-field-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-woman-stands-in-a-lush-field.jpg 1280w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 1280px\" alt=\"a woman stands in a lush field\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-woman-stands-in-a-lush-field.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"615 KB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"854\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"1280\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Once in office, the governor multiplied efforts to attract private investment to the state. He participated in the signing of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/http:\/\/www.ma.gov.br\/agenciadenoticias\/desenvolvimento\/empresa-chinesa-assina-acordo-de-investimento-para-construcao-de-porto-em-sao-luis\">agreement<\/a>&nbsp;between China Communications Construction Company and WPR S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds Gest\u00e3o de Portos e Terminais for Cajueiro port. Escorted by government secretaries, Brazilian and Chinese businesspeople, he celebrated the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/http:\/\/www.ma.gov.br\/agenciadenoticias\/desenvolvimento\/o-governo-do-maranhao-ajudou-que-o-porto-sao-luis-virasse-realidade-destaca-empreendedor-chines\">launch of the private terminal works<\/a>&nbsp;one year ago.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Hor\u00e1cio Sant\u2019ana J\u00fanior, the governor\u2019s participation in these ceremonies sent a message that the rights of local communities would be violated. Since then, he argues, the government has been sweeping complaints of assaults on local leaders, irregularities in licensing, environmental crimes and opaque land transactions under the carpet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe company began acting with much more freedom, advancing in deforestation, continuing with the demolition of houses and attempting to blackmail residents who wanted to stay in the territory,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Maranh\u00e3o Government is complicit in the irregularities and bears responsibility for all the environmental and social disasters that this company has already caused and continues to cause on its shoulders.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Extractive project blocked<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Another political campaign that WTorre supported was that of Jos\u00e9 Sarney Filho, brother of former governor Roseana Sarney. The R$ 300,000 (US$77,000) donated by the company was the largest private sector contribution the candidate received in his 2014 campaign. He assumed his ninth mandate as a federal deputy the following year, as part of the Maranh\u00e3o Green Party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>After being appointed Minister of Environment by former President Michel Temer, Sarney joined the chorus of voices against the creation of an extractive reserve that would protect up to 16,000 hectares of forest and a dozen communities, including Cajueiro. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cAs far as I can see, the state government is against it, the city hall is against it, the senators are against it. I have already commissioned studies, but in this case we have to listen to everything, and in times of crisis, like we live today, we cannot block the growth of Maranh\u00e3o. I\u2019m against the way this reservation is being proposed and I will ask ICMBio [the Chico Mendes Institute for Biodiversity Conservation] to review this issue,\u201d Sarney said at a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/https:\/\/www.fiema.org.br\/noticia\/1746\/nao-podemos-podar-o-maranhao-diz-ministro-sarney-filho-em-reuniao-na-fiema\">meeting<\/a>&nbsp;of the Maranh\u00e3o Federation of Industries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image aligncenter block--article-image block--article-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-car-parked-on-a-dirt-road.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-car-parked-on-a-dirt-road-768x493.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-car-parked-on-a-dirt-road-1024x658.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-car-parked-on-a-dirt-road.jpg 1280w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 1280px\" alt=\"a car parked on a dirt road\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-car-parked-on-a-dirt-road.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"394 KB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"822\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"1280\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>ICMBio is responsible for the creation and management of National Parks and other federal Protected Areas. In an extractive reservation, communities live in protected environments in a model whose origins go back to the times of rubber tappers such as Chico Mendes, the famous union leader who fought the advance of large single-owner properties in the Amazon and who was killed in 1988.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The inhabitants of Cajueiro have been waiting for the creation of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/http:\/\/www.icmbio.gov.br\/portal\/index.php?option=com_content&amp;view=article&amp;id=4195&amp;Itemid=999\">Tau\u00e1 Mirim<\/a>&nbsp;Extractive Reservation since 2003, which would allow them to maintain their way of life. Until now, they have been individually compensated and relocated to give way to construction of the port. Many have accepted compensation for land and houses, facing a future far from the forest and from the sea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWith compensations you have an expectation of life improvement. However, money runs out, and many people don\u2019t know how to live outside here. Without any skills, women will work as cleaners and men will live off short-term jobs,\u201d said Lucilene Raimunda Costa, who has lived in Cajueiro for more than two decades and has visited the community since she was five years old.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For state congressman Wellington does Curso of the Brazilian Social Democratic Party (PSDB), a rare critical voice on Fl\u00e1vio Dino\u2019s government in the Legislative Assembly, the extractive reservation would mitigate the port\u2019s impacts on the forest and the population. However, he does not see bright prospects for Cajueiro, because the voices of those who resist within the community do not resonate with the federal and state institutions that preside over their rights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cPeople are taken from where they were born or lived from fishing or agriculture to a completely different place, a house, an apartment. What will they live off now? No job, no day care, no school, no quality of life. Misery, crime, violence, prostitution and drug trafficking often accompany the future of forcibly displaced populations,\u201d he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Former governor, Jackson Lago gave the green light to the extractive reserve, while Roseana Sarney opposed the protected area. This means the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/http:\/\/www.mpf.mp.br\/ma\/sala-de-imprensa\/noticias-ma\/mpf-ma-consegue-viabilizar-a-criacao-da-reserva-extrativista-resex-taua-mirim\">Federal Public Prosecutor\u2019s Office<\/a>&nbsp;is waiting for a decision on Tau\u00e1 Mirim\u2019s future from Fl\u00e1vio Dino\u2019s government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The studies for its creation do not include the Sino-Brazilian port area, although it does clash with additional plans for more logistics and transportation infrastructure, and even a&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/https:\/\/www.ma.gov.br\/governador-e-comandante-de-operacoes-navais-da-marinha-falam-sobre-implantacao-da-segunda-esquadra\/\">naval base<\/a>. There is also political pressure to turn almost the entire island of S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds into an industrial zone. After years of waiting, in 2015 communities declared a&nbsp;<em>de facto&nbsp;<\/em>reservation. The measure however has no legal or practical effect, though it does serve to amplify populations\u2019 calls for permanence in traditional territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cCommunities have the right to a response from public authorities, but the scenario is unfavourable to the reservation since the protection of the environment and the communities were subject to an unequal game of forces. These populations are underrepresented politically when facing companies that have great influence, not to mention the Maranh\u00e3o Government, which speaks on behalf of these business interests,\u201d said Soares.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image aligncenter block--article-image block--article-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-woman-stands-inside-a-rustic-hut.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-woman-stands-inside-a-rustic-hut-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-woman-stands-inside-a-rustic-hut-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-woman-stands-inside-a-rustic-hut.jpg 1280w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 1280px\" alt=\"a woman stands inside a rustic hut\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_Maranhao_A-woman-stands-inside-a-rustic-hut.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"386 KB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"854\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"1280\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>According to a declaration by the State Government; \u201call measures (\u2026) are taking into account the importance of investment, as well as the safety of the residents of the area, the preservation of the environment and respect for ethnicity and the exercise of worship of religions with African origin\u201d. It also points out that \u201cin relation to the complaints raised by the community, the State Government reiterates the full follow-up of the Secretariat of State for Human Rights and Popular Participation in public meetings and hearings, as a means of dialogue with the local population\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We contacted China Communications Construction Company and WPR \u2013 S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds Gest\u00e3o de Portos e Terminais by telephone and e-mail to enquire about aggressions reported by the Cajueiro community, the opaque land deals and the environmental license for the construction of the Port of S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds. At the time of publication, we had not received a response from either company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A global board game<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Crises such as the one tormenting the community of Cajueiro could be avoided if legislation were respected and the population was allowed to participate in the planning that is overseen by private companies and public institutions, according to Wellington do Curso (PSDB), a former president of the Legislative Assembly\u2019s Human Rights Commission.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cNo one is against development, as long as it takes place in an orderly and sustainable manner. If a broad debate had preceded the construction of the port, it would not have been forced down the throats of society and the traditional community. S\u00e3o Lu\u00eds and Maranh\u00e3o don\u2019t need to grow by turning their backs on people\u2019s future,\u201d he said.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Marco Ant\u00f4nio Mitidiero J\u00fanior from Para\u00edba Federal University, said social and environmental aggressions registered in Cajueiro cannot be separated from the growing global investments in the production of soybeans, meat, iron and other commodities in Brazil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThese investments clash with the livelihoods and rights of peasant communities,&nbsp;<em>quilombolas<\/em>&nbsp;(descendants of slaves), riverbank dwellers and indigenous peoples, usually seen as obstacles that must be removed from where they live, with violence and with the participation of the state and the judiciary,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Rising food prices that shook the world a decade ago were driven by China\u2019s need for imports. The country expanded its global investments in infrastructure for transport and energy, vehicle manufacturing and telecommunications. It was in this scenario that it overtook the US as Brazil\u2019s largest trading partner. Today, a quarter of Brazilian exports go to China.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Mitidiero, concern about the disproportionate influence of international economic power on the fate of Brazil\u2019s rural communities has grown with the election of the extremist Jair Bolsonaro in 2018. Bolsonaro is building a militarised government that appears to disrespect the way traditional and indigenous populations\u2019 way of life in opening up more land to agribusiness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-cd-article-image aligncenter block--article-image block--article-image--article\" itemscope itemtype=\"http:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\"><div class=\"block--article-image__column\"><div class=\"hide-expand block--article-image__image\"><img class=\"lazy\" data-src=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_A-man-seated-on-a-couch-in-a-brick-house.jpg\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_A-man-seated-on-a-couch-in-a-brick-house-768x526.jpg 768w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_A-man-seated-on-a-couch-in-a-brick-house-1024x701.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_A-man-seated-on-a-couch-in-a-brick-house.jpg 1280w\" data-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 768px, (max-width: 1024px) 1024px, 1280px\" alt=\"a man seated on a couch inside a brick house\"\/><\/div><div class=\"block--article-image__content\"><div itemprop=\"caption\" class=\"block--article-image__caption\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><meta itemprop=\"contentUrl\" content=\"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/20190520_A-man-seated-on-a-couch-in-a-brick-house.jpg\"\/><meta itemprop=\"contentSize\" content=\"374 KB\"\/><meta itemprop=\"height\" content=\"876\"\/><meta itemprop=\"width\" content=\"1280\"\/><meta itemprop=\"author\"\/><meta itemprop=\"representativeOfPage\" content=\"true\"\/><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>In his&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/https:\/\/www.nexojornal.com.br\/expresso\/2018\/10\/26\/O-discurso-de-Bolsonaro-o-que-ele-diz-desdiz-e-reafirma\">speeches, Bolsonaro promised<\/a>: \u201cthere will not be one more centimetre to demarcate\u201d indigenous lands, that populations will be integrated into urban society and that their lands will be opened to mining and agriculture. He also compared indigenous people with&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/web.archive.org\/web\/20190523023820\/https:\/\/g1.globo.com\/sp\/vale-do-paraiba-regiao\/noticia\/2018\/11\/30\/indios-em-reservas-sao-como-animais-em-zoologicos-diz-bolsonaro.ghtml\">animals in zoos<\/a>&nbsp;and said&nbsp;<em>quilombolas<\/em>&nbsp;aren\u2019t worthy \u201ceven for reproduction\u201d.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mitidiero said:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cEverything (in the new government) points to a greater concentration and appropriation of territories, with the suppression of the rights of indigenous peoples, the quilombolas and the conservation of nature, opening more spaces for international markets of lands and commodities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This article was produced as part of \u2018Land of Resistants\u2019 a series focusing on environmental defenders in Latin America. It is republished here with permission.<br><br>The photos in this report are credited to \u201cIngrid Barros\u201d, \u201cAldem Bourscheit\u201d, \u201cReprodu\u00e7\u00e3o de Redes Sociais e CRC\/MA\u201d, \u201cCCCC\u201d and \u201cFiema\u201d. The\u00a0<\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=fvDhoI5FS4k\"><em>video<\/em><\/a><em>, is produced by \u201cDebate Luta\u201d<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Painted as \u2018anti-development\u2019, communities in Maranh\u00e3o resist a Chinese port as their rights are trampled <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50000256,"featured_media":50027255,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[50039900],"tags":[13887,556,559],"hashtags":[],"country":[50000021],"class_list":["post-50027080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-justice","tag-conflict","tag-infrastructure","tag-land-rights","country-brazil"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v26.0) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ 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