Translate page with Google

Project September 11, 2020

Quilombolas, Invisible Protectors of the Forest, in Sight of COVID-19 (Portuguese)



Hydroelectric plants, mineral processing industries, ore pipelines, and an increasing number of ports for the export of commodities are all elements of the landscapes of the lower Tocantins River, in the state of Pará—and also of the daily life of several Quilombola communities living along the shores of these waters. Examining land use planning, borders, and notions of development in this country means considering conflicts and violence—common occurrences in the case of the Amazon.

In the midst of the pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus, Quilombolas from the Tocantins and Guajarina regions, which both follow the shores and boundaries of the immense and highly valued Tocantins River, have experienced an intensification of the threats they've been historically vulnerable to. Like other groups that inhabit and protect the Amazon through their ways of life, the Quilombolas are confronting what could be called yet another deadly threat.