Backgrounder & Urgent Campaign: #Pinheirinho's residents face threat of forcerd eviction

Originally posted by the International Workers League - Fourth International at http://bit.ly/xHFyZp 

Written by CSP-Conlutas

Wednesday, 11 January 2012 15:26

Urgent solidarity, in defense of Pinheirinho,  No to repossession,  No more intimidation and repression. In the early hours of January 05, 2012, residents of the Pinheirinho Community [1] in São José dos Campos, São Paulo State, Brazil, were surprised at 05:30 in the morning when a huge police operation was implemented leaving everyone perplexed. On the grounds that they were seeking for drugs, weapons and possible fugitives from justice, the police imposed the panic in the community. Residents have been living a routinely panic since Judge Marcia Faria Mathey Loureiro determined the land’s repossession to the bankrupt estate “Selecta” whose proprietor is the mega real estate speculator, Naji Nahas. It is at best strange the judge's decision, since the community’s legalization and the transformation of the area into a district were underway and well advanced at the appropriate government offices, after all, about two thousand families live there for eight years. Despite the official statement of search and seizure, the real purpose behind this huge police operation held within Pinheirinho Community is to intimidate the community and to find pretexts to justify a coward action for eviction from the land. We repudiate the Judge Marcia Faria Mathey Loureiro’s decision and we also repudiate such an intimidating attitude of the public security agencies. We express our solidarity towards the Pinheirinho community and demand that São Paulo state Governor, Mr. Alckmin, responsible for public security in the state, does not authorize any action aimed at the eviction from a land where working men and women struggle to have a home. By doing so the Governor will avoid what may come to be a real tragedy. It is worth registering that the State Government agencies have already declared favorable to the occupancy’s legalization and the Advisor of the Secretariat of the Presidency of Brazil, Wlamir Martines, condemned the possible forced evacuation of the area and reiterated the national government's interest in the acquisition of that land area. He said that in case of emergency, he will trigger the National Secretary for Human Rights to intervene and prevent the eviction. The CSP-Conlutas will continue to give unrestricted support to the residents of Pinheirinho and will join the actions of resistance and struggle in defense of housing rights, as well as demanding that all government levels prevent a possible tragedy to the lives of residents and their families. We urge social and workers’ organizations to send a motion in solidarity with the community as well as a motion to repudiate the police action. Motions to: General Secretariat of Presidency of the Republic sg@planalto.gov.br Governor of São Paulo State– Geraldo Alckmin galckmin@sp.gov.br Mayor of São José dos Campos city gabinete@sjc.sp.gov.br Secretaria de Segurança Publica do Estado de São Paulo Secretário Antonio Ferreira Pinto seguranca@sp.gov.br Secretaria de Habitação do Estado de São Paulo Secretário Sílvio França Torres Fax: (11) 3638-5100 faleconosco@habitacao.sp.gov.br Presidente do Tribunal de Justiça de São Paulo presidenciatj@tjsp.jus.br National Office of Human Rights. Ministra Maria do Rosário Nunes direitoshumanos@sdh.gov.br Supreme Justice Court presidencia@stj.jus.br Judge Márcia Faria M. Loureiro sjcampos6cv@tj.sp.jus.br Copy to CSP-Conlutas: secretaria@cspconlutas.org.br (1) Pinheirinho Community - It is an area long abandoned by its owner, the mega real estate speculator, Naji Nahas. The occupation of Pinheirinho has its origin in the great housing shortage in São Jose dos Campos (SP). There are 9 thousand people, mostly women and children, who have been living at Pinheirinho since 2004.