Discover Bar do Dico, a traditional Curiaú spot threatened with demolition in Amapá

The traditional Bar do Dico, located in the quilombola community of Curiaú, in Macapá, is at risk of demolition following a decision by the Court of Justice of Amapá (Tjap). Published this Thursday (12), the measure determines the removal of properties in the region, including the establishment, which has been operating in front of the resort for more than 40 years.

Residents warn about the vulnerable situation of families and highlight the cultural and ancestral importance of the space for the quilombo.

"I think the entire Amapá community knows Bar do Dico and its history. It has existed for 45 years, and represents history, culture and ancestry for Curiaú, because my father is a descendant of the enslaved people who populated the Curiaú community", said Marcione Leite, daughter of the bar's founder.

Located on the banks of the highway, the bar has been run by the same family for generations, is open daily and serves typical Amapá cuisine. The movement of tourists increases mainly during school holidays, a period when the Curiaú River reaches its highest water levels.

The order is part of a legal dispute that has been going on for years involving an area of ​​more than a thousand hectares. In the most recent decision, the Court understood that the land was occupied irregularly, an argument contested by residents.

In protest against the measure, quilombolas blocked the AP-70 highway on Thursday to demand dialogue with the authorities, claiming that they are not heard by the courts. This Friday (13), the group held a new demonstration in front of the Tjap headquarters, in the center of Macapá.

The group's main demand is the historical recognition of families descending from traditional people who live in the area.

"The decision says that at any moment the court will demolish the bar, because my father caused damage, but he did not cause damage to anyone. He [Raimundo da Costa Leite Filho], built this bar at the expense of a hoe, a machete, an ax and a pit iron. He built this here from agriculture", detailed Marcione.

In addition to being a commercial location, the property serves as a home for a large family, including the 100-year-old matriarch.

"His mother, my 100-year-old grandmother, is the great-granddaughter of these people who were enslaved, and today even she can live on the street, because we are being expropriated from our own territory", lamented Marcione.

Understand legal dispute

In October last year, a repossession action in the same process had already demolished five houses, according to the community. At the time, residents reported that families were left homeless and dozens of animals were left without water or food.

According to the quilombolas, the court order from that period provided for the resumption of just one hectare, but around 100 hectares ended up expropriated in practice. The land is within the Curiaú River Environmental Protection Area (APA), recognized as the second titled quilombola territory in Brazil.

In addition to the damage to families, the community reported that pigs, cattle and chickens were trapped in the isolated area, without access to water and food. According to residents, many animals were injured and exposed to attacks from jaguars that live in the region.

The court decision on the bar is preliminary — that is, it is provisional — and can still be appealed. The Amapá Public Defender's Office (DPE) represents residents in the process.

On social media, popular movements expressed solidarity with the quilombola community.

The Mapinguari Institute, an organization focused on socio-environmental research and education, released a statement of repudiation classifying the decision as a serious threat to the families who built the history of Curiaú.