Quilombo dos Macacos Community Association

To denounce the state violence suffered by the population of Quilombo Rio dos Macacos, in Bahia, using violent actions of the Armed Forces present in the territory and also by the omission of the state, which does not put public policies into effect in the region. It also aims to strengthen Black quilombola women.

• To report on violations of human rights suffered by the community to national and international bodies;
• To make an impact on the competent authorities at the municipal, state and federal level for the implementation of the public and specific policies of the traditional quilombola communities;
• Carry out exchanges with other traditional indigenous and quilombola communities to strengthen the resistance of the quilombo and Black quilombola women;
• Resume ethnic, cultural activities of the community, such as the samba de roda, for valuing the Black culture itself;
• Leveraging community agricultural production using artisanal resources and popular technologies

Quilombo Rio dos Macacos faces serious violence against its people, culture and traditions. This has been happening since the installation of the Navy in the territory, in the 40s and 50s. The actions of the Navy reveal aspects of Brazilian institutional racism and practices that go back to dictatorship times. It results in the criminalization of quilombola leaders and the particular impact suffered by quilombola women – victims of physical, psychological and sexual violence.

Some examples of violations:

Demolition of candomblé temples (terreiros), as well as the imposition of restrictions to cultural manifestations like samba de roda and the cantigas;

Construction of a wall on the access to the Rio dos Macacos and a dam, which made farming and fishing unfeasible, main community subsistence activities, as well as bathing, washing clothes and containers;

Installation of a control cabin at the entrance of the quilombo and presence of armed men, which limits the displacement of the residents.

The Associação dos Remanescente Quilombo Rio dos Macacoswasregistered in February 2012, in Simões Filho (BA). It was initially founded with the purpose of representing and promoting the political, social, economic and cultural community development of quilombo residents in the face of human rights, ethnic and cultural violations and the imminent risk of expulsion from the territory that has been occupied by the community for over 200 years, as ratified by the Technical Report on Identification and Delimitation (RTID) prepared by Incra.

The dispute over territory is accentuated by the filing of a Claim with a request for Summary Judgement filed by the Brazilian Navy. The last deadline for compliance with the judicial decision aimed at the withdrawal of the community, as well as the publication of the RTID and the Decree recognizing the 104 hectares as a quilombola territory ended on March 4, 2012. In this sense, several actions from the Navy put the survival of the quilombos at risk: the placement of a gate to control the entrance and exit of the residents and their visitors; the construction of a wall that prevents access to the river – the primary source of people’s resources; control of community access routes by vehicles; as well as a series of threats and violence accounts against the residents.

MPP- Movimento dos Pescadores e Pescadoras Artesanais (Traditional Fishermen and Fisherwomen’s Movement);

ANP- Articulação Nacional das Pescadoras (National Articulation of Fisherwomen);

AATR- Associação dos Advogados dos Trabalhadores Rurais (Rural Worker’sLawyers Association);

CPP-Conselho Pastoral dos Pescadores (Fishermen Pastoral);

CPT- Comissão Pastoral da Terra (Land Pastoral);

Caritas;

Saju/ UFBA;

Projeto Geografar/UFBA;

Bando de Teatro Olodum (Olodum Theater Group);

Teatro Vila Velha (Vila Velha Theater);

Bloco Afro Os Negões (Afro-group Os Negões);

Articulação de Povos e Comunidades Tradicionais (Traditional Communities and Peoples’s Group);

Pastorais do Campo (Rural Pastorals);

Articulação Novos Rumos (Novos Rumos Group);

Rede de Mulheres Negras da Bahia (Women of Bahia Group).