Brazil in fact – Farmers used tractors to destroy the plantations in the Osmar Azevedo camp, in Itabela (BA), occupied by around 300 families from the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST). Since Saturday (27), families had been receiving threats.
Late Saturday afternoon, the families were surprised by farmers who tried to coerce them. “They surrounded a companion there in the field and interrogated and threatened him for a long time. After they released their companion, they drove the car around the field,” says one camper.
CONTINUES AFTER AD
Families reported that threats have been frequent and increasingly serious, including gunshots in front of the camp at night. “The way they are acting is becoming dangerous. Every day that passes, the attacks become more violent,” reports a resident.
The following day, Sunday (28), the group returned to the camp, invaded and destroyed part of the plantation. Still according to the camped families, they had threatened to set fire to the shacks. This morning (30), they returned with tractors and cut down the planted fields.
CONTINUES AFTER AD
Who are the farmers
On Sunday (28), a woman introduced herself to the families as Rubiane Laviola Correa, supposed heiress of Fazenda São Jorge. She displayed papers that she claimed were a lawsuit and that she would be there to notify the campers of a court decision. Along with her was her brother Rômulo Souza Laviola, who was also at the camp this Tuesday morning with the tractors to cut down the plantations.
A resident of the camp reports that the Laviola family has been persecuting men and women farmers for some time and destroying their crops, causing damage and threatening workers. We tried to contact the Laviola family, but it was not possible. The space remains open for demonstrations.
CONTINUES AFTER AD
The MST reported that the military police were at the scene on Sunday and this morning. Brazil in fact Bahia contacted the PM’s communications department, but at the time of writing the article had not received a response. The text may be updated if there is a response.
Attacks
This is not the first time that the Osmar Azevedo camp has been the target of attacks. In the early hours of March 10, men identified as jagunços shot at the camp in Itabela (BA). No one was injured, but families were scared and reported the attack.
CONTINUES AFTER AD
In a statement, the MST states that the constant attacks affect farming families and warns about the frequent threats and violence organized by farmers, in the form of rural militia, such as the movement called Invasion Zero, which causes terror and violence in the countryside.
Osmar Azevedo Camp
Fazenda São Jorge was occupied by around 200 families of rural workers on February 3, 2023. It is located in the municipality of Itabela, in the extreme south of Bahia. The area was abandoned and unproductive. It has around 800 hectares, of which more than 400 hectares are not registered in the municipality’s Property Registry Office. Still according to the MST, there are indications of illegality in the registration of the other 400 hectares.
CONTINUES AFTER AD
In the previously unproductive area, the camped families planted vegetables, greens and roots, in addition to creating forests with native and fruit trees. All plantations were cut down.
