Wednesday 18 January 2012

I stand in solidarity with the residents of #Pinheirinho

I'm sitting here thinking about Pinheirinho...a community in São José dos Campos, Brazil, that has existed for 30 years. That is home to thousands...where people raise their families. Where their lives are. This is a community that is being threatened with eviction because a foreign owned company, who owns the land, wants to take control by removing the current residents. These thousands and thousands of families...that have no place else to go!

I do not know much about Brazil...yet. But I do know about these kinds of situations globally speaking. About occupations, about poverty, lack of employment and opportunity, lack of infrastructure and support to communities such as these and the lack of available health care.

What is happening in Pinheirinho is no different in some ways, than what is happening to indigenous communities in North America. The global public seems unaware that colonization, if not of the mind/body but of the land, is still taking place. That violent land grabs continue to happen. Even if this takes place over a long period of time such as is the case in Pinheirinho.

No wonder people have red lines about former/present colonizing powers! In this case a German company is threatening the lives, livelihood and safety of thousands! For what? Because they own the land? Because they want control? Because they want to make a profit? Eventually? This company or versions thereof, have owned this land in name only for decades without paying taxes of any kind. Without contributing and without care for the land or the people...without anything!

I don't know what squatters rights are in Brazil, but something like that likely exists. At least it should exist! In Canada, land that is unoccupied and unused by the owner and is used by someone for a period of 7 years belongs to the latter person/peoples following the completion of that period! The residents of Pinheirinho have lived there for 30 years! That land is theirs. They live there. Their lives are there!

I stand in solidarity with the residents of Pinheirinho. I vehemently oppose their eviction! All the way from Canada! And so should you! Whomever and wherever you are!


Sofia Smith


* To be translated this evening-if anyone wants to help with that pls contact me at sofiasmith@hotmail.ca. Any help is much appreciated as I'm still in the process of learning Portuguese. :) *

3 comments:

  1. Dear friend, in my public blog a lot about Brazil, especially in the label "Our people, our people." If you want to access, will be a pleasure, below is the address of my blog. As the situation Pinheirinho, is absurd Brazilian authorities accept this situation. The area in dispute is the mega OWNED financial speculator Naj Nahas and the Federal Government has offered to compensate the area and leave the people on site, but the Governor of the State of São Paulo and the Mayor of the City of St. Paul and ignored the people insist emexpulsar . Thank you for your post. Now the little courts suspended the eviction for 15 days, yet one can imagine the anguish that people are feeling, until it leaves the final decision.
    hug

    My blog: www.blogdoarretadinho.blogspot.com

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  2. Thank you for your comment and I will definitely have a look at your blog!

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  3. And thank you for that additional information in terms of the offered compensation of the developer by the Federal Government...is that info on your blog? And if not, where could I find it? Mais uma vez obrigado e boa noite! Eu tenho que dormir agora! :)

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