Rural murder rate hits 70 last year, highest since 2003
New data reveal that the number of killings increased 15% from 2016
O massacre de Pau d'Arco foi um dos citados no relatório da CPT. Ao todo, dez camponeses morreram na chacina. (Foto: Mácio Ferreira/Ag. Pará)
In 2017, rural conflicts resulted in the death of 70 agricultural laborers and people from indigenous and traditional communities in Brazil. The data, released today by the Catholic Church’s Pastoral Land Commission (CPT), reveal that this was the highest number of murders registered since 2003, when 73 people were killed. According to the CPT, most of the crimes occurred in the state of Pará, where 21 people lost their lives.
The Commission drew attention to four massacres in the states of Bahia, Mato Grosso, Pará and Rondônia, which together resulted in 28 deaths. There are also suspicions of the murder of at least ten isolated Indians who live in remote areas of Vale do Javari, in Amazonas. One of the largest massacres occurred in Pau D’Arco, in Pará, where ten people were killed in the biggest slaughter since Eldorado dos Carajás, more than twenty years ago.
“The report by the CPT reveals the importance of maintaining programs for the protection of environmental and human rights defenders. It is worth noting that these cases are underreported, since they occur in remote areas and are often not brought to the attention of the public,” explained Jefferson Nascimento, an advisor to the Development and Socioenvironmental Rights program at Conectas.
The CPT has been reporting data on rural conflicts in Brazil for 33 years and, over this period, 1,904 people have been killed in 1,438 conflicts. Impunity is striking: only 8% of the cases made it to trial, and only 31 contractors and 94 hitmen have been convicted. “It’s important for the murders to be properly investigated, with the perpetrators of the crimes being tried and convicted, so the shadow of impunity can no longer be used to support the violence,” added Nascimento.
