From: Francisco Paulo Cipolla (cipolla@UFPR.BR)
Date: Mon Mar 07 2005 - 10:15:09 EST
Francisco Paulo Cipolla wrote: > Regarding the Goiânia massacre: > It is important to know that the final attack was preceeded by several > nights of terror during which the police exploded bombs non-stop in > order to terrify the squaters and make the final attack easier. I saw > reports on TV of people living in the vicinities whom could not sleep > for several nights, the whole night. Property is sacred. > It is also important to know that dweling problems are gigantic in > Brazil. Favelas only do not account for the dwelling deficits. > Sometimes what are called "favelas" are not even the worst condition > people live in. The "pauper" left here owe research and analysis of > this problem on a grand scale. In the meantime it is the UN who does > the job. Un-Habitat published last year a book called The Challenge of > Slums in which it is calculated that there are more than 900 million > people, let us say 1/6 of the world population living in slums. I > don´t know how the reseach was concucted nor what was the definition > of slums. If we consider the broader category of inadequate housing > conditions I guess we would have a much bigger number. May be 1/5 of > the world´s population living under inadequate housing conditions, may > be more! One feels like vomiting. > Paulo. > > Asfilho@AOL.COM wrote: > >> Dear all, This was a massacre. The police invaded the settlement >> (after politicians had promised to resolve the problem peacefully - >> but that was during the election campaign last year). The settlers >> had been there for many years. The owner did not pay the land taxes, >> again, for years. But for some reason the owner took the settlers to >> court and obtained an eviction order. The police crashed in. As far >> as I know, two people are officially dead, but scores are missing - >> perhaps up to 50. Bodies have apparently been turning up gradually >> inside wells, on roadsides and in woods far from the settlement. >> It's grotesque.Check the Brazilian Indymedia site, >> http://www.midiaindependente.org/pt/blue/2005/03/309241.shtmlThe >> state of Goias (capital: Goiania, pop. approx. 1.2m) is a very >> right-wing state, dominated by a coalition of traditional landlords >> and agribusiness. Property rights are very important to them. They >> also think that a good beating from time to time can help to keep >> people in their proper places. This is not an exaggeration; I lived >> there for many years, and my parents still do.I think international >> outrage can make a big difference in this case. It could force the >> federal government to seek a solution - otherwise the state >> government will stall the official investigation and the killers >> will carry on as normal.Of course there is a pattern here - >> Carandiru, in Sao Paulo (111 dead); the Para' State massacre of >> landless peasants (16? dead), Goiania. Life is cheap in >> Brazil.alfredo. >
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