RIO DE JANEIRO - the Government of the Brazil will protect rural activists and increase the maintenance of order in its Amazonian forest in an effort to halt the deadly conflict in illegal logging, officials said following a meeting Monday on how to put an end to the violence.
At least three rural activists were killed in the region within a week: Jose Claudio Ribeiro da Silva and his wife Maria, in the State of Para and Adelino Ramos in the State of Rond?nia. A fourth person who may have witnessed the murders in Para was also killed.
According to the Catholic monitoring group pastoral land, known as the CPT, in Brazil, more than 1 150 rural activists were killed in the past 20 years. The murders are mainly carried out by armed men hired by farmers, ranchers and loggers to silence protest over illegal logging of forests.
The monitoring group has to a list of 125-name-long of activists whose life is in danger because of their position against the loggers are common in the region on important environmental.
Minister of justice Luiz Paulo Barreto, said that the Government of the Brazil will analyze all cases on the list of the CPT and provide immediate protection.
"The Federal Government will not accept on efforts to bring peace in the region," Barreto said at a press conference.
The Monday meeting was led by the Brazilian Vice President Michel Temer and included the Ministers of the environment, justice, rural development and human rights. Their purpose was to promote cooperation between the Governments and States to stop the massacres. The Governors of the States of Para, Amazonas and Roraima were invited to the capital, Brasilia, for meetings later this week.
Ministers announced the creation of a working group on violence in the Amazon. No details were given on how the Government intends to fulfill its promise to increase police services in the region or how many new officers will be sent.
"We will not accept these murders and will be intensified surveillance and investigation and strengthen the actions leading to sustainable development in the region said Florence of Afonso of Minister of Rural development."
As a first step, the Ministry of Justice requested the participation of the federal police in the investigation into the death of the couple in Para State, according to a memo from the Office of the Presidential Palace press.
During this time, a man, Ozeas Vicente, was arrested Monday after himself for killing Adelino Ramos, according to a press release from the Ministry of public security of the State of Rondonia.
Ramos was known to denounce the illegal logging in the Amazon region. He died Friday after being shot six times while taking products to sell in a market with his wife and children. His family was not prejudiced.
He lead the Association of peasants Amazon and survived one of the most deadly land disputes, to Brazil - the Corumbiara massacre in August 1995 when police killed 10 militants peasants without land. Two policemen also died.
Life of Ramos had repeatedly threatened by forestry operators of States, including Acre, Amazonas and Rondonia, according to a press release of the Federal Secretary for human rights.
