Request for Solidarity and Call for Action to the Governor of Paraná: Hon. Sr. Roberto Richa
Dear Friends and Supporters of the MST: We received the following urgent request from the MST's Human Rights Sector asking supporters throughout the world to contact the Governor of Paraná to begin an investigation into the murder of a landless family, lending their support to a land occupation. Below is the request. We've included documents and sample email letters. Please take the time to write the governor.
Dear Friends of MST,
Since June 2014 a large encampment in the region of Laranjeiras in the south-west of Paraná has been working to expropriate an area of more than 20,000 hectares owned by the large lumber and wood products company ARAUPEL, who cultivates it poorly and uses it for monoculture pine plantations.
In the encampment there are more than 2,500 families. Check out this news coverage about it:
English translation of May 17, 2014 in Terra de Direitos article; and
additional photos of the occupation.
Oddly, after the elections some of the leaders of the region started to receive death threats, in private or in public. There are rumors going round in the region of the existence of gunmen contracted to kill the leaders. In particular our companion Antonio Miranda, a national leader of MST and resident of the region, has had several threats.
Complaints about these threats were reported to the police in December 2014 and then to the Public Ministry in January 2015. Please see the annexed documents.
During the last week there have been other tragic events, when a group of gunmen kidnapped a whole family from a nearby settlement who came to the encampment in order to give their support to those living in the encampment. On Friday, January 30, 2015 their disfigured bodies were found, and until now, there has been no trace of those behind this crime.
Facing all of this, we ask that every one of you write urgently to the Governor Hon. Sr. Robeto Richa, asking for action and for the police to find the person responsible for the death threats and the slaughter.
Write to the governor
c/o
Hamilton Serighelli.
Assessor do governador para assuntos de conflitos agrarios no estado:
And please include a copy for our lawyer of the region.
Camilo Bernardo
Thank you very much for your solidarity.
Best regards,
MST National Sector of Human Rights
