Resident says he was shot at during an attack on an MST camp in Paraíba: 'They've already shot me'

A resident of the Marilene Dantas Camp, from the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST), reported moments of fear during the attack that set fire to nine shacks in the early hours of this Sunday (8), between the municipalities of Caaporã and Pedras de Fogo, on the South Coast of Paraíba. In an interview with TV Paraíba, he said that six men dressed in security clothing arrived at the scene around 2 am and fired shots.

The resident said that, when he went out to see what was happening and asked the men what they were doing there, they started shooting. He was accompanied by his wife and three children, aged 2, 5 and 11.

"When I asked: 'Boy, what is this?', they started shooting at me. I was in bed, my child is two years old, there's an 11-year-old and a 5-year-old. The shots almost caught him and the rest of the shack had already been set on fire," he said.

The resident said that there were many women and children in the camp at the time of the action. According to him, the men also fired shots at an electrical power transformer.

"They fired six shots at the transformer. I wanted to leave everyone in the dark, which is weird here in the woods," he said.

The man has lived in the camp with his family since 2022. He said he works in João Pessoa during the week and returns to the place on weekends. In the area, residents grow foods such as cassava, yam and acerola.

When speaking about the situation of the families, he asked that those responsible for the attack be identified and that the courts take action so that the residents can continue working on the land.

Government promises to investigate attack

The Secretary of State for Family Agriculture and Semiarid Development, Nino Vilar, was at the camp after the attack and stated that the Government of Paraíba mobilized teams from the Military, Civil and Scientific police to monitor the case.

According to the secretary, Governor Lucas Ribeiro was informed about the incident in the early hours of the day. He also stated that the Civil Police began collecting statements to identify those responsible.

"I have no doubt that, thank God, it didn't end up being a massacre. There was an attempt. [...] We will identify it. The commitment is to find out and arrest whoever actually caused it," he said.

Nino Vilar also informed that a meeting is scheduled for this Monday afternoon (9), with the participation of representatives from the Judiciary, the Federal Public Ministry, the State Public Ministry, the National Institute of Colonization and Agrarian Reform (Incra) and the Secretariat of Family Agriculture.

The objective, according to him, is to discuss the situation in the area and seek solutions to a conflict that, according to the secretary, has been going on for more than ten years.

Attack destroyed nine shacks

Nine shacks were set on fire after an attack on the Marilene Dantas Camp, of the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST), in the early hours of this Sunday (8), in the area of the former Usina Maravilha, on the banks of BR-101, between the municipalities of Caaporã and Pedras de Fogo, on the South Coast of Paraíba. There are no reports of injuries.

According to the MST of Paraíba, armed men arrived at the scene at around 2 am, fired firearms and set fire to the families' homes.

The movement reported that the attack put the lives of dozens of rural workers and children living in the camp at risk. There is no information about what could have caused the attack.

In addition to the houses, the fire affected the region's native vegetation, causing environmental damage, according to the movement's complaint.

What is Marilene Dantas Camp?

Campamento Marilene Dantas is home to around 40 families and was occupied in April 2013. According to the MST, residents work with family farming and food production in the area.

In a statement, the movement stated that families have faced threats and episodes of violence since the beginning of the occupation. According to the organization, members of the camp have already been victims of physical attacks on previous occasions.

The MST classified the episode as part of a sequence of intimidations against the families and demanded the investigation of the case, the identification of those responsible and measures by public security bodies to guarantee the integrity of the residents.